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AUTOMATIC 



SPIRIT WRITING, 



WITH OTHER 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES, 



SARA A. UNDERWOOD. 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY B. F. UNDERWOOD. 



CHICAGO, ILL. 

PUBLISHED BY THOMAS G. NEWMAN, 

147 South Western Avenue. 

1896. 







Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1895, 

By THOMAS G. NEWMAN, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



PREFACE. 



In the interest* of truth only have I prepared 
this book, and have herein given a plain, unvar- 
nished statement of facts as they occurred, in the 
exact words of the communications as I have them 
in the original manuscripts. In most of these, 
especially after the first year, I wrote down at the 
time the questions asked by Mr. Underwood and 
myself, directly over the replies, so that I know 
without doubt to what the answers referred. 

In the first year, however, I sometimes omitted 
writing the questions asked orally, and in regard 
to such had to trust to memory, or infer from the 
answer what those questions were. If, therefore, 
here and there occur trifling mistakes or repeti- 
tions they are due to this fact, and to the further 
fact of my having earlier written out, so that they 
could more easily be read, many of the communica- 
tions, in re-writing which for this volume I have 
consulted both the original manuscripts as written 
by spirit power, and my own copies. 

One thing, arising from my experience after the 
publication of the Arena article I wish to make 
clear in this Preface. Many persons at that time 
all over the country in their entirely blameless 



6 PREFACE. 

anxiety for personal knowledge, wrote me letters, 
many of them particularly appealing to my sym- 
pathies, asking me either how they could obtain 
direct communication, or sending articles by which 
they hoped I might get en rapport with spirit 
friends of their's — though strangers to me — appar- 
ently thinking that the publication of my own 
experience made me in some sense a public medi- 
um at the command of outside parties. 

The fact I wish now to emphasize is that it will 
be useless for any one reading this book to send 
me such letters or requests. I have an aversion 
to treating my private guests as public enter- 
tainers, further than making public, at their own 
request, those matters which ought to be known 
in the interest of truth, regarding man's being and 
destination. 

More than this — I do not know what to advise i n 
regard to other people getting such communica- 
tion for themselves. They have here the record 
of my own experiences and that is all I know. 
With my own work to do in the world I have but 
little time to use in writing long letters to private 
persons, even were I willing to devote it to that 
purpose, setting aside other pursuits in order to 
do so. SARA A. UNDERWOOD. 

Chicago, 111., Nov. 25, 1895. 



CONTENTS. 



PEEFACE 5— 6 

CONTENTS 7—10 

INTRODUCTION— B. F. Underwood 11—1 6 

CHAPTER I. — Psychic Experiences. — The 
Arena Article, with Introductory Remarks by 
B. F. U. Experiences in Automatic Writing. 
Remarkable Tests. Boehme. Other Com- 
munications. A Significant Vision 17—36 

CHAPTER II.— Further Instances op Truth- 
ful Tests.— Interest in Psychical Research. 
Axldress before the Psychical Science Congress. 
The Author's Religious Education. Her 
Skepticism and Agnosticism. The Early 
Planchette Experience. The English Society 
for Psychical Research. Communications 
with Names Signed. Mr. Underwood's 
Presence a Necessary Condition. Messages 
Purporting to be from the Brownings. 
Further Tests. Reasons for giving these 
Experiences to the Public. Urgent Requests 
of the Invisibles. "Pharos" in Special Con- 
trol. Statements made opposed to Views of 
the Author. Answers in Rhyme. Variety of 
Script. Always Normal, Alert and Ready to 
Question. Desire for Questions from Mr. 
Underwood. Cannot Anticipate Words. The 
Writing not always a Guide in Earthly Affairs. 
Letters from Mourning Hearts. Assumption 
of Great Names. Health not Affected 37 — 58 

CHAPTER III.— Does Science Explain This ?— 
Communications purporting to be from J. P. 
Mendum in which Facts given, unknown to 
Mrs. Underwood, were afterwards Corroborated. 
Two Autograph Signatures unknown to Mrs. 
U. written, One a Name She had never Seen 
Written or Heard Uttered. A Lawyer's State- 
ment, "The Test to My Mind was quite Con- 
vincing." "I still live," Horace Seaver. A 
Communication in Printed Letters 59—71 



8 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I V.— Conditions and Sense Limita- 
tions.— Cannot turn on the Faucet and draw 
unlimitedly from the Spirit World Reservoir. 
Difficulties in the way of Free Communications. 
Lack of Proper "Conditions" and Limitation 
of Sense Perceptions. Desire for Mr. Under- 
wood's Attention. Responses to his Criticism 
of the Spirits. Why False Words are given. 
Beyond our Sphere Many Planes. Unfinished 
and Fragmentary Messages. Mixed Writing. 
Our Words convey no definite Ideas of Spirit 
Existence. Those studying A B C's of Life 
Cannot understand the X of Algebra 72—86 

CHAPTER V.— Analogies and Differences 
Betaveen Spirit Life and Earth Life.— As 
to Location of the Spirit World. Space. Soul 
States. Different Spirit Planes. Spirit Life 
an Improvement on Earth Life. Spirits and 
Mediums. Spirit Progress. Different Grades 
of Spirits. Children in Spirit Life. Spiritual 
Schools. Evolution is the Law of Life. Soul 
Sympathies. Death a Change of Environment, 
a New Birth. When Born into Spirit Life. 
Spirit Language, Spirit Homes, Spirit Apparel. 
Answers to Questions about Spirit Locomotion, 
Individual Ownership. Spiritual Possessions. 
Interest in Science in Spirit Life. Inhabitants 
of other Planets. Cremation. Family Names 
and Affinities. Personal Immortality 87 — 108 

CHAPTER VI.— Experiences after Death.— 
"Joseph Barker wants to say a Word." His 
First Impression as He A Woke. His Answers 
to Questions. A Sorrowing Daughter's Mes- 
sage from her Father. A Test. From a 
Literary Light and from a Fellow Officer of 
Mr. U.'s in regard to the New Life. "Pharos" 
Amanuensis for B. R. and S. H. An Odd Com- 
munication. Other Communications 104 — 120 

CHAPTER VII.— Rhythmic Improvisation.— 
Rhymed Answers to Questions rapidly Written, 
often come Unexpectedly. Specimens. "Spirit 
Thoughts" in Verse. Bhama the name by 
which Mr. U. is addressed. Words of Com- 
fort and Words of Advice in Verse. Verses on 
Spirit Life, Displays of Petulance in Rhyme. 121—131 



CONTENTS. 9 

CHAPTER VIII.— Spirit Teachings.— In regard 
to the All of Being. God. A Communication 
purporting to be from Boehme. Sin Against 
the Holy Ghost. Spirit and Matter. Love. 
Evil. Prophecy. Power of Prayer. Christian 
Science. Theosophy 1 32—146 

CHAPTER IX.— Spirit Teachings (Continued.) 
— Religion. Jesus. Reincarnation. Spirits 
have not Lost Sense of Humor. Contradic- 
tions. Ego. A Discussion on Will 147 — 160 

CHAPTER X.— Spirit Teachings (Continued.) 
—Names of Spirits. False Names. "Pharos" 
Sex. So-called Materializations. Evolution. 
The Differences between Kant and Hume. 
Animality and Spirituality 161—172 

CHAPTER XL — Good - night and Friendly 

Messages.— Specimens in Prose and Rhyme. 
A Bit of Retaliatory Sarcasm. Wounded 
Sensibilities. Loving Messages of Adieu. 
Spirit vs.Matter. A Poem. Friendly Words, 173— 182 

CHAPTER XII.— Characteristic Communica- 
tions. — Communications Purporting to come 
from Wordsworth, Swedenborg, Caroline Fox, 
Malthus, Darwin, St. Thomas, Aquinas, 
Lincoln, Robert Chambers, An Army Friend 
of Mr. Underwood's, Another Friend, W. R. 
Crooks, Saul of Tarsus. Oddities and Mysteries 
of Automatic Writing 183—200 

CHAPTER XIIL— Unique Communications.— 
Comical Satirical and Saucy Communications. 
A Slave-Girl's Story. A Boston Editor. An 
Army Chaplain. An Unnamed Communicant. 
About Indian Spirits 201 — 214 

CHAPTER XIV.— Request for Publication.— 
Urged from the First to Make Known these 
Experiences. Spirits' Eagerness to Gain a 
Public Hearing. Reports of Conversations on 
the Subject. Change of Tone from Anxiety to 
Satisfaction after the Decision to Publish.. .215 — 225 

CHAPTER XV —Earlier Experiences with 
Planchette. — An Article on Planchette 
Written Twenty Years Ago Reproduced. 
Statement of Facts Interpreted in the Light 
of the Author's Present Views 226—238 



10 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK XVI.— Miscellaneous Teachings.— 
Spirits rinding Fault with the Sitters, Charg- 
ing them with Bigotry. Wants "Some of B. 
F. U.'s Conundrums." Materialism, Agnos- 
ticism, Spiritual Life, Theosophy and Spirit- 
ualism. Music, Flowers, Karma and Death. 239—251 

CHAPTER XVII.— Miscellaneous Teachings 
(Continued.) — Words of Cheer, a Poem. 
Boehme on Earthly Sorrows. Salvation, Love, 
Goodness. Victor Hugo. A Curious Incident. 
Replies to Questions regarding G. H. Lewes, 
George Eliot, Herbert Spencer and Others. 
America's Most Useful Teachers. Aphorisms. 252 — 262 

CHAPTER XVIII.— Some Psychic Incidents.— 
Was it a Warning ? Found through a Dream. 
How did he Hear and See ? 263—278 

CHAPTER XIX.— Corroborative Testimony.— 
Spiritualists' Faith does not Depend upon 
Individual Testimony. Cloud of Witnesses. 279—305 

CHAPTER XX.— Does Death End Evolution ? 

— Science cannot say when Evolution Began ; 
still less when it Shall Stop. Silence of Physi- 
cal Science as to the Soul of Man. The 
Accummulation of Phenomena called Spirit- 
ualistic. Crookes and Wallace Representing 
Broad and Liberal Investigators. The Work 
of the Psychical Researchers. Goethe's Meta- 
morphosis of Plants ; Man the Product of the 
Planets' Evolutionary Processes. Spiritual 
Ideals imply a Life in which to realize them.306— 311 

CHAPTER XXL— The Spiritual Conception 
of God. — The All-Embracing Power. Formu- 
lated Theories. " Who Dare Name Him and 
Who Avow." From Young, Dante,Emerson. 312— 319 

CHAPTER XXIL— The Future Life.— Heaven. 

The Higher Life. One World at a Time. . . .320— 331 

CHAPTER XXIII. —Spiritual Possibilities.— 

Age in the Spirit Worid 332—342 

CHAPTER XXIV.— Foregleams 343—348 

CHAPTER XX V.— Specimens of Automatic 
Writing.— Difficulty of Disguising or Imitat- 
ing Genuine Autographs. Plates Showing the 
Hand-writing of "Pharos" and Others 349 — 352 



INTRODUCTION. 



By that I know the learned lord you are ! 
What you don't touch, is lying - leagues afar ; 
What you don't grasp, is wholly lost to you, 
What you don't reckon, think you, can't be true; 
What you don't weigh, it has no weight alas! 
What you don't coin, you're sure it will not pass. 

—Bayard Taylor's Translation of Goethe's Faust, Part II., p. 18. 



Dr. W. F. Barrett, Professor of Experimental Physics 
in the Royal College of Dublin, says: " It is well-known 
to those who have made the phenomena of Spiritualism 
the subject of prolonged and careful inquiry, in the spirit 
of exact and unimpassioned scientific research, that 
beneath a repellant mass of imposture and delusion there 
remain certain indubitable and startling facts which 
science can neither explain nor deny." 

Such a fact is automatic writing, the reality of which, 
among those who have examined the subject, is not in 
dispute, and further experiments can be of scientific 
value only in determining the physiological conditions 
and psychological implications of the phenomenon. 

The word automatic is commonly applied to the processes 
of an organism which from frequent repetition during 
a long time have become mechanical — actions performed 
without volition, thought, or effort. The writing called 
automatic does not, in the thought or in the movement 
of the hand which holds the pen, form a part of any 
activity that is the result of repetition of previous mental 
experiences, or which can be properly classed under the 
term habit or instinct. It is automatic only in the sense 
that it is written without mental or physical effort on 
the part of the person by whose hand the writing is 
produced. The planning, thinking, arranging of thoughts 
and putting them into sentences, as well as the mechanical 
work of writing, are somehow done in a way to relieve the 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

psychic of all conscious effort in the process of thinking 
and reducing the thoughts to writing. 

The psychic's knowledge of what is written is obtained 
by reading it in the usual way. Another person looking 
on may learn what is being written while the person whose 
hand is used to write, is still entirely ignorant in regard 
to its meaning. The views expressed are often at variance 
with those held by the psychic, while the hand-writing 
may not bear the least resemblance to that of the same 
hand when moved by the will and effort of its possessor. 

Several times Mrs. Underwood's views on subjects in 
regard to which she has very pronounced opinions, have 
been vigorously combatted and long discussions between 
herself and the intelligence using her hand have resulted. 
She has, to my positive knowledge, written in this 
automatic way, statements which included matter-of-fact 
information, unknown to her and unknown to me, showing 
that the intelligence which supplied the thought and 
controlled the hand to write, had access to sources of 
knowledge beyond the conscious reach of the psychic. 
These are curious facts. 

While this writing is done without directive volition or 
conscious thought or effort on the part of Mrs. Underwood, 
there is nothing whatever in the writing, as is evident from 
what has already been said, which indicates an automatic 
process. On the contrary it shows discursive intelligence, 
and sometimes of a high order, as the compilations of 
automatic communications in this volume unmistakably 
prove. Sometimes philosophical questions are discussed: 
at other times verse is composed with greater rapidity 
than Mrs. Underwood can write even prose in the ordinary 
way. I have seen written by her hand thirty or forty 
lines, quickly and without a pause; and a curious fact 
worth mentioning is that in several cases the poem was 
constructed in a way which showed that the whole must 
have been in the mind of the real author when the first 
verse was composed. Occasionally detailed, circumstantial 
statements respecting events and scenes are given. Some 
of the communications show humor, others marked 



INTRODUCTION. 13 

displeasure, etc. So far as I can judge the intelligence or 
intelligences with whom I have been, during the last few 
years, in communication through Mrs. Underwood's 
peculiar powers, are possessed of all the mental and moral 
qualities manifested by the men and women we meet in 
daily life. 

The messages received automatically, in every case that 
has come under my observation, have purported to be from 
extra-mundane minds and almost invariably from spirits 
that once dwelt in the flesh, now discarnate and freed 
from material conditions. The intelligence manifested 
by the writing shows varying degrees of intelligence and 
power of expression, indicating apparently the presence at 
different times, of different personalities. 

If it is the subconscious self, as some students of this 
phenomenon imagine, that moves the hand and supplies 
the thought, then it deceives the upper self. Judging 
from the character of the intelligence that gives such 
answers to questions as are published in this book, it 
ought to be able to distinguish between this earthly state 
of being 1 and another^ real or imagined, and between itself 
and other personalities. If it knows enough to make 
these distinctions, it must, if it is a part of the psychic's 
mind, be given to wilful deception, while the psychic's 
conscious self is, as to veracity and trustworthiness, 
beyond suspicion. If the subconscious self is thus subject 
to illusion and hallucination, how can reasoned thought 
and discriminating remarks come from such a mental 
source ? 

Some French physiological psychologists have supposed 
that a portion of the self becomes alienated and appears 
to the mind as a separate, foreign personality— rather a 
far-fetched hypothesis to account for a mental phenomenon 
one of the peculiarities of which is that it sometimes 
surpasses the conscious mind of the psychic in the power 
of thought shown, knowledge of facts, and in force and 
facility of expression. 
A The spiritualistic view, although it involves questions 
that cannot now be answered (which is equally true of 



14 INTRODUCTION. 

all the theories of physical sciences) is the most simple 
explanation and the one from which many of the best 
thinkers see no way of escape. There are many who have 
not been predisposed in favor of Spiritualism, who in the 
interests of truth feel compelled to say with Eev. Minot J. 
Savage: 

" I have been told things which neither the medium nor 
myself knew, or could by any possibility have known. If 
there is any other theory than a spiritualistic one to 
explain facts of this sort, I don't know what it is." 

" I am in possession of a respectable body of facts that 
I do not know how to explain except on the theory that I 
am dealing with some invisible intelligence. I hold that 
as the only tenable theory I am acquainted with." 

Mr. F. W. H. Myers who has made automatic writing 
a subject of prolonged and careful investigation says that 
in some of the automatic massages received he cannot 
avoid the conviction that it is the "departed personality" 
which originates them. 

It is true, as is often said in a critical spirit, that many 
of the messages purporting to be from .the spirit world, are 
vague or puerile, or both. But as Mrs. Beecher Stowe 
wrote in 1872: "Do invisible spirits speak in anywise, 
wise or unwise? is the question a priori. I do not know of any 
reason why there should not be as many foolish virgins in 
the future state as in this." 

Considered only as a means of obtaining information 
otherwise than through the sensory channels, automatic 
writing is profoundly significant as well as interesting. 
As Prof. Alfred Alexander of Brazil, who has studied the 
subject carefully, says: 

"As a means for obtaining supernormal information, I 
have more faith in automatic writing than in somnam- 
bulism. It would appear that it is less interfered with by 
the personality of the medium and is more guarded 
against the influence of surrounding minds. It may not 
be merely fanciful to say that the supraliminal self, being 
awake, stands sentinel over the operation and prevents 
the ingress of disturbing forces." 



INTRODUCTION. 15 

Automatic writing is not merely of recent appearance, 
but until the last few years it has not attracted the atten- 
tion of official, orthodox science. Many persons in private 
life having these experiences— writing words, sentences 
and long essays in prose and poetry without any mental 
effort or muscular exertion, without any conscious 
participation in the production of the writing, came to see 
when they ventured to mention the facts, that they were 
regarded as victims of hallucination, if not indeed as design- 
ing frauds. It is not strange that they sometimes lost 
respect for the fairness and judgment of scientific men, 
that among them were persons who were too ready to 
accept the messages which came to them in this mysterious 
manner from an unknown source, as veritable revelations 
of truth to be believed and followed implicitly. 

It is different now when, identified with the investiga- 
tion of this subject are the names of men likeFlammarion, 
Binet, Richet, Janet, Eibot in France : Crookes, Wallace, 
Lodge, Barrett, Sidgwick and Myers in England ; and Prof. 
William James, Bev. M.J.Savage, and Dr. Richard Hodgson 
in this country. 

Probably automatic writing and trance speaking are of 
a kindred nature, and the less common phenomenon of 
voice hearing may have a similar basis. Socrates who is 
regarded as the wisest man of the ancient world, had his 
daemon that warned him against danger, and often, as he 
believed, showed a wisdom greater than his own. Joan of 
Arc following the voices, led the soldiers of France to 
victory. 

It is not improbable to my mind that much of the 
so-called sacred literature of the world, was written by 
scribes who were moved to write by intelligence which 
they could not identify with their own, and which they 
believed was divine. The Koran, the sacred authority 
and guide for many millions of people, was I believe pro- 
duced in this supernormal manner, and may it not be true 
of some of the books of the Bible? 

Spiritualism wisely teaches that all " communications " 
and revelations, from whatever source they profess to come, 



lr> INTRODUCTION. 

should be tested by their intrinsic merits. In religion 
and morals, the experience and wisdom of mankind, 
through the ages of the past, have an authority in 
accepted axioms and precepts by which later revelations 
must to a great extent be judged, regardless of the sources 
from which they profess to emanate or the names by which 
they are endorsed. 

I have carefully read Mrs. Underwood's statements in 
this volume in regard to the communications given, and I 
can honestly testify to their correctness. She has been 
pains-taking and conscientious in making all her records 
of what has occurred, y and if there are errors in her narra- 
tion, such errors are of an unessential character, and I have 
not been able to detect them. 

Whatever scientific or quasi-scientific solutions may be 
suggested, Mrs. Underwood, whose hand has been used 
in the way described, during the last five years, is person- 
ally convinced, beyond all doubt, of spirit agency in these 
communications. These experiences came to her at a 
time of life when observation and reflection should have 
disciplined her mind to a state of judicial strength and 
firmnesss, for she had lived fifty years before experiences 
occurred of a character to make any serious and deep 
impression as to the reality of extra-mundane influence. 

These experiences have convinced her, as nothing in 
the orthodox faith held by her ancestors, in which she 
was educated, had or could, of the truth'ancl reasonable- 
ness of the soul's survival of death and of its progressive 
existence in spheres beyond this mortal life. 

Herbert Spencer says that a condition of success in all 
departments of scientific research is "an honest receptivity 
and willingness to abandon all preconceived notions, 
however cherished, if they be found to contradict the 
truth.'" 

I am sure that Mrs. Underwood has in her investiga- 
tions faithfully observed and complied with this condition. 

B. F. UNDERWOOD. 



AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



CHAPTER I. 

PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. 

In order to give the reader a clear idea of the 
experiences related in this work I shall be obliged 
to make it more largely personal than I should 
otherwise care to. I also wish it to be clearly 
understood that I do not claim the experiences 
here recorded to be at all unique as I am well 
aware that they are in the line of the experiences 
of thousands of people, some of which have been 
put into print, but the majority of which remain 
only as personal evidence to those receiving them 
of the continuity of man's existence in spheres 
beyond the change which sense-limitations have 
taught us to call death. 

My first psychic experiments were made with 
planchette about 1872, some statements in regard 
to which will be made later on. These experi- 
ments puzzled me, but not being undertaken very 
seriously " they soon became so frivolous in 
character that I lost all interest in them, and for 
many years after did not care to search further, 
my studies in physical science having brought my 
thought to the agnostic standpoint. 

In the Fall of 1889 I began to get automatic 
writing of so impressive a character as to command 
the serious attention of myself and husband, and 

9 



18 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

finally, by the urgent request of the intelligences 
writing through my hand, sent to the Arena a 
statement of some of the incidents, as embodied in 
the following reprint of that article which appeared 
in that magazine in August, 1891, and which 
brought us many letters of inquiry and corrobora- 
tive experiences from hundreds of readers : 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. 

BY SARA A. UNDERWOOD. 
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY B. F. UNDERWOOD. 

The statements in this paper as to what was 
written in my presence purporting to be communi- 
cations from "spirits," and as to the circumstances 
under which it was written, are scrupulously 
correct. The "communications," it is certain, are 
from an intelligent source. Mrs. Underwood is 
the person by whose hand they are put in form. 
That she is not laboring under a mistake in think- 
ing that she is unconscious of the thought 
expressed until she has read the writing, — if, 
indeed, such a mistake in a sane mind is possible, — 
I am certain. Sometimes, owing to the illegibility 
of the writing, she has to study out sentences. 

The writing varies in style, not only on different 
evenings, but on the same evening ; it is apparently 
the writing of not fewer than twenty persons, and 
generally bearing no resemblance whatever, so 
far as I can judge, to Mrs. Underwood's hand- 
writing, which is remarkably uniform. The com- 
munications are unlike in the degrees of 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. 19 

intelligence, in the quality of thought, and in the 
disposition which they show. Detailed statements 
of facts unknown to either of us, but which,' weeks 
afterwards, were learned to be correct, have been 
written, and repeated again and again, when 
disbelieved and contradicted by us. 

All the writing has been done in my presence, 
but most of it while I have been busily occupied 
with work which demanded my undivided 
attention. The views expressed are often different 
from my own, and quite as frequently, perhaps, 
opposed to Mrs. Underwood's views. 

Some will, doubtless, interpret these facts as 
evidence and illustrations of the multiplex 
character of personality, and will regard these 
communications, apparently indicating several 
distinct intelligences, as manifestations of different 
strata, so to speak, of the same individual 
consciousness. Knowledge of the facts unknown 
to our ordinary consciousness was, nevertheless, 
some will say, in the sub-consciousness of one of 
us, or perhaps of both. On this theory, of course 
it must be supposed that the mind has stored 
away in its depths knowledge acquired in ways 
unknown. By others all the phenomena related 
by Mrs. Underwood will be regarded as the work 
of disembodied, invisible, intelligent beings who 
once dwelt in the flesh and lived on the earth, but 
who are now in a higher sphere of existence, yet 
able under certain conditions to make their 
presence and their thoughts known to us. 

It is not my intention here to advocate any 
theory as to the cause of the phenomena described 
by Mrs. Underwood. I simply testify now to the 



20 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

accuracy of all those statements in her paper- in 
regard to her-automatic writing. 

B. F. Underwood. 

"The known is finite, the unknown is infinite ; intellectually 
we stand on an islet in the midst of an illimitable ocean of' 
inexplicability. Our business in every generation is to reclaim a 
little more land : to add something to the extent and solidity of 
our possessions. — Huxley in "Reception of the 'Origin of 
Species.' " 

Public attention at this time especially is being 
called to various forms of psychic phenomena 
measurably through the efforts of the Society for 
Psychical Research in investigating and sifting 
the evidence for the stories of apparitions, 
hallucinations, forewarnings, etc., but more 
because so many who have heretofore scoffed at 
and doubted such stories, or who have been foiled 
in their efforts to obtain for themselves any 
satisfactory evidence that such phenomena really 
occur, are now able to testify from there own 
experience, in one form or another, that such are 
real facts of our existence. 

The questions raised by the class of facts already 
elicited through this investigation are of supreme 
importance, and it becomes the duty of every 
serious-minded enquirer who has had experience 
of this kind to give the result of his investigations 
to the public, and thus aid those searching for the 
underlying cause of all such phenomena. There- 
fore after considerable hesitation, and with some 
inward shrinking from an obvious duty, I have 
concluded to take the consequences of publishing 
my own recent experience. 

A word of personal explanation may here be 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. 21 

necessary. A sincere believer in orthodox 
Christianity until my twentieth year, I have been 
led by careful study and unfaltering love of truth 
to give up my belief in Christian dogmas, and 
have for some years known no other name by 
which to designate my state of mind in regard to 
religious belief than that misunderstood and often 
misapplied term, agnostic. But at no stage in my 
mental progress have I ever felt sure that I had 
reached any conclusion which was final, and at no 
time have I been a believer in Spiritualism, or 
been convinced that we survive the present state 
of being ; while always I have felt an interest in 
every undecided question in science and religion, 
and earlier have had some "intimations of 
immortality," which have caused me to think 
seriously on the subject and to long for more light. 
I have decided to lay the simple facts of my most 
recent experience before the readers of the Arena, 
and allow them to draw what conclusions they 
will without offering any theory of my own. 

More than a year ago my interest in psychic 
phenomena was awakened by reading the reports 
of the Society for Psychical Research, but it has 
been my own personal experience which has 
created a profound impression on my mind. If 
any one who reads this will try to imagine in what 
spirit he would greet an entire stranger or group 
of strangers, who through the telephone, for 
instance, should send him genial messages full of 
common sense, philosophy, humor, and friend- 
liness, giving him interesting details of a strange 
land, he can partially understand the state of 
mind in which, after many months of such inter- 



22 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

course, I find myself. Except on two or three 
occasions no one has been present but my husband 
and myself. 

The modus operandi is the simplest possible. 
As I remembered that Mr. Underwood was rather 
averse to the planchette experiments of former 
years, thinking them unwholesome and deteriorat- 
ing in their tendency, I at first said nothing to 
him of my new psychical experiments, though 
these were made oftenest in his presence in the 
evening when we both sat at one writing table, 
near each other, busied with our individual literary 
work. As I experimented in his absence as well 
as in his presence, I soon found that I got the 
most coherent writings when he was present. 
Indeed I could get nothing coherent, and very 
frequently nothing at all, when he was away, but 
when he was present the communications began to 
grow strangely interesting, and as he was called 
upon repeatedly, I felt obliged to invite his 
attention, when the most surprising answers were 
given, which roused his curiosity and interest. It 
has been explained that his presence is necessary 
for me to obtain writing, as ' ' blended power is 
best." Two or three times, at the suggestion of 
this intelligence, we have asked two of our 
intimate literary friends — non- Spiritualists — to be 
present, but each time with comparative failure ; 
afterwards we were informed that the cause of 
failure was the introduction of persons unused to 
the conditions, who broke up the harmonious 
relations necessary to communication ; in time 
they could be of help. 

It would take a volume to present all the 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. 23 

interesting statements as to an advanced stage of 
existence, only hidden from ns because of the 
inadequacy of our sense perceptions, and by the 
conditions imposed upon us at this stage of our 
progress, which have been given from this source. 
Explanations have been made why communication 
through the agency of certain persons, though 
not through all, are possible. The conditions, it 
is alleged, are not entirely dependent upon the 
superior intelligence or morality of the persons 
with whom the intelligences can become en 
rapport. These invisibles declare that they are 
as seriously and anxiously experimenting on their 
side to discover modes of untrammelled communi- 
cation with us, as we on our side ought to be, if 
what they write be true, and if such a thing be 
possible. " Spirits" they persistently insist upon 
being called. 

In this paper I can give only a statement of 
some things which do not seem explicable on the 
hypothesis of mind-reading, thought-transference, 
hypnotism, or subconsciousness. In all these 
experiments I have been in a perfectly normal 
state. The only physical indication of any out- 
side influence is an occasional slight thrill, as of 
an electric current, from my shoulder to the hand 
which holds the waiting pen. Step by step I have 
been taught a series of signals to aid me in cor- 
rectly reading the communications. I have no 
power to summon at will any individual wished 
for. I have repeatedly, but in vain, tried to get 
messages from some near and dear friends. 

It has been explained that on their side, as on 
ours, certain ' ' conditions " must exist in order to 



24 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

get in "control." When "eh ?" is written I know 
that the operator at the other end of the line is 
ready to communicate. When in the middle of a 
sentence or a word "gone" or "change" is 
written, I understand that the connection is 
broken, and I must not expect the completion of 

that message. When a line like this is drawn, 

it is a sign that that sentence is completed or the 
communication ended. So with other things. 
Rhymes are often unexpectedly written, especially 
if the "control" professes to be a poet, and they 
are dashed off so rapidly that I do not understand 
their import until the close when I can read them 
over. Impromptu rhyming is a feat utterly 
impossible to either Mr. U. or myself. Names 
persistently recur which are unknown to us. 
Many different handwritings appear, some of them 
far superior to my own. 

When I first began to get communications I 
destroyed, in a day or two after they were written, 
the slips of paper containing the writing, but as 
the developments became more interesting, Mr. U. 
suggested that they be preserved for reference. 
I acted on this suggestion, and thus in the instances 
of facts given outside our own knowledge, I am 
enabled to give the exact wording of each com- 
munication. Our questions were asked viva voce, 
and as they were often suggested by what had 
been previously written, I either at the time or 
soon afterward wrote them just above the reply. 
I am not, therefore, trusting at all to memory in 
the statements I shall make. 

A gentleman of this city (whom I will call John 
Smith, but whose real name was a more uncommon 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. 25 

one) with whom Mr. U. had been acquainted many 
years, but of whose family relations he knew little, 
died here more than a year ago. Mr. U. had met 
him but once in the year previous to his death, he 
having been away on account of failing health, 
staying, we understood, with a daughter recently 
married, whose home was in Florida. The first 
name of this married daughter, or of any of Mr. 
Smith's daughters except one, was unknown to 
Mr. U. I had met one of his daughters whose 
name I knew to be Jennie. I also knew that there 
was another named Violet. I was not sure, how- 
ever, whether this was the name of the married 
one, or of another unmarried, but had the 
impression that Violet was unmarried. 

One evening while waiting for automatic writing 
with no thought of Mr. Smith in my mind, and Mr. 
U. sitting near me at the table with his thoughts 
concentrated on an article he was preparing, this 
was written : ' ' John Smith will now enter into 
conversation with B. F. Underwood." I read this 
to Mr. U. who laid aside his pen, and in order to 
test the matter, asked if Mr. Smith remembered 
the last time they met, soon after his return from 
the South, and a short time previous to his death. 
There was some delay in the answer, but soon the 
reply came "On Madison Street." ""Where-abouts 
on Madison ?" was asked. ' ' Near Dearborn. " ' 'At 
what hour ?" "About 10 a.m. — raining." 

As it was rarely that Mr. U. was in that part of 
the city at so early an hour, and especially on a 
rainy day, I doubted the correctness of this reply, 
but Mr. U. recalled to my mind the unusual cir- 
cumstance which made it necessary for him to be 



26 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

in that vicinity on the day and at the hour named, 
on which he and Mr. Smith, he distinctly remem- 
bered, last met. Only a few words passed between 
them on account of the rain. After this, writing, 
purporting to be from Mr. Smith, came frequently. 
Very soon something was written which induced 
Mr. U. half sportively, to inquire whether there 
was anything which troubled Mr. Smith, anything 
which he wished he had done but had omitted 
before his death. The answer came. ' 'One thing — 
change deeds on Violet's account. None of my 
wife's are at my daughter's disposal. All in her 
own disposal. 

Mr. U. asked if it was meant that he had not left 
his property — for he was a man of some wealth— 
as he now wished he had. "You are right," was 
written, "Want all my girls to share alike." 
"Which daughter do you refer to ?" was asked. 
"Went away from her in Florida — Violet," was the 
answer. I remarked, "Why, I thought Violet was 
one of the unmarried girls, but it must be that that 
is the name of the married daughter." Then Mr. 
U. was strongly urged to call on Mr. Smith's mar-, 
ried son, James, with whom Mr. U. had a slight 
acquaintance, and tell him of this communication. 
" Clearly state my desire that my daughter Violet 
share equally with her sisters." Of course this 
was utterly out of the question. 

At that time we had no intention of informing 
any one of our psychic experience, and if we had, 
Mr. James Smith would have thought us insane or 
impertinent to come to him with so ridiculous a 
story, the truth of which we ourselves strongly 
doubted. Pages were, however, written concern- 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES 27 

ing the matter in so earnest and pleading a man- 
ner that I came to feel conscious-stricken at 
refusing to do what was asked, and to shrink from 
seeing Mr. Smith's name appear. Once was 
written : 

Say to James that in my new position, and with 
my new views of life, I feel that I did wrong to 
treat his sister as I did. She was not to blame for 
following out her own convictions, when I had 
inculcated independent thought and action for all. 

This and other sentences of the kind seemed to 
convey the idea that Violet had in some way 
incurred his displeasure by doing according to her 
own will in opposition to his. This was puzzling 
to us, as we thought that in her marriage, at least, 
the daughter we thought to be Violet had followed 
her father's wishes. 

A few week's later, however, came an unlooked- 
for verification of Mr. Smith's messages. In a 
conversation between Mr. U. and a business friend 
of Mr. Smith, who was well acquainted with all 
his affairs, regret was expressed that so wealthy a 
man had left so little for a certain purpose. Mr. U. 
then inquired as to what disposition had been made 
of his property, and was told that he had left it 
mainly to his wife and children — so much to this 
one, and that. "But Violet," continued Mr. U.'s 
informant, "was left only a small amount, as Mr. 
Smith was angry because she married against his 
wishes. " ' 'Why, " remarked Mr. U. , "I understood 
that he approved of the match, and the fact that 
he accompanied herself and husband to Florida, 
and remained with them some time, would seem to 
indicate that." "Oh, you are thinking of Lucy, 



28 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

the eldest girl ; her marriage was all right, but 
Violet, one of the younger daughters, going to 
Florida with her father, fell in love with a young 
man of whom her father did not approve, so she 
made a runaway marriage, and on account of his 
displeasure, Mr. Smith left her only a small sum." 
The intelligence writing was aware of facts 
unknown to either Mr. U. or myself, and no other 
persons were in the room when these communica- 
tions were given. 

One evening one of us spoke of the frequently 
false and mischievous statements purporting to 
come from spirits — predictions which did not come 
to pass, descriptions which were wholly wrong, 
and sending credulous believers on wild-goose 
chases after hidden treasure, etc., the occasion 
being an untrue statement made to us in regard to 
the death of a friend who was alive and well. We 
asked if this unseen intelligence would explain 
why this was allowed. Reply came promptly, 
"Rather tough problem. There are certain 
phases of our existence here which are not 
explainable to you on your plane, and the test we 
were obliged to make of your credulity was one of 
these." 

We protested against such tests, and I declared 
that I would not try to receive communications if 
they practised deception. "Why do you protest," 
was written, ' ' when you already know you are 
but a tyro in this phase of being ? You don't now 
willingly do the work assigned you, and B. F. U. 
is still harder to manage." Thereupon Mr. U. 
suggested ' ' that without sense organs and a 
material environment, conditions would be such, 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. 29 

perhaps, that they could not be expressed in 
terms known to us, nor be even conceived by us." 
Immediately was written: "Many wish to 
answer B. F. U.'s clear statement of the difficulties 
in the way of spirit intercourse with those still in 
the flesh, but now comes the one soul capable of 
clear answer. Blessed be they who question — 
gone." Next came this — "Boehme wants to 
reply." 

Here I have to confess that never having 
paid much attention to occult or mystical literature 
the name Boehme was utterly unknown to me, 
and at this point I asked Mr. U. , " Did you ever 
hear of anyone by the name of B-o-e-h-m-e ?" 
spelling the word. "Certainly," he replied, 
' ' Jacob Boehme, he was a German thinker who 
died — " my hand began to move just then, and he 
paused, and while the following was being written 
my mind reverted hazily to a German philosophi- 
cal writer, who had died within a few years, and 
of whose life one of our friends had written a 
sketch. His name began with B, and I thought 
he was the one Mr. U. referred to, as I had for- 
gotten what the full name was. I say this to 
explain that there could be no thought-transference 
in this instance from Mr. U.'s mind to mine. This 
was written rapidly. 

Death and life are but two phases of one truth, 
and when what mankind calls death comes, it is as 
we experience the change that ■ all our circum- 
scribed relations to Banded Universalities become 
clear ; but when we try to explain to those not yet 
beyond man's sphere we find ourselves at a loss 
because there is nothing parallel in this state of 
existence with your knowledge. 



30 AUTOMATIC WRITING 

Afterwards Mr. U. showed me in the encyclo- 
pedia a sketch of him (the name spelled Bohme, 
and in several other ways) in which it was stated 
he "had a very fertile imagination, and a remark- 
able faculty of intuition, and professed to be 
divinely inspired," and that he died in 1624. Since 
then I have found another sketch of his life which 
says that "owing to the fantastic terminology he 
thought fit to adopt, his writings are condemned 
by many as utterly unintelligible." This may 
explain the "Banded Universalities," a phrase I 
never in my life saw before, and' only dimly under- 
stand now ; I had never to my knowledge read a 
word of his writings. 

In my case, as in that of many who profess to 
give spirit messages, frequently names of dead 
thinkers and heroes are signed. I protested 
against this, saying I did not believe that these 
individuals were the ones who communicated, and 
asked for some explanation. Immediately this 
answer was written : 

Elaine and Guinevere were not real beings but 
types — so somewhere in our sphere are spirits who 
embody cleverness in creations of their fancy, and 
adopt names suited to their ideas. 

Since this explanation was given, I have had 
more patience with the communications signed by 
great names, because I have imagined that these 
are types aspired to by the real writers . But their 
"cleverness in creations of their fancy" extends 
sometimes to fair imitations of the thought and 
style of those whose names they borrow. For 
instance, since Elizabeth Barrett Browning is one 
of my favorite poets, it is not at all strange that 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. 31 

her name and that of her husband might be 
suggested by my own mind ; my own mind ought 
also to suggest the thought of the following, 
written as from Mrs. Browning, though the 
phraseology is not mine. 

Robert gave me life. He gave me to Love. He 
and I are but two sides of one individuality. We 
both understand this, as you understand it. 

But then followed without any apparent pause 
for a word, this : 

Let your own hearts deeply feel 
The sweet songs of older lovers, 

So shall song and sense appeal 
To all that true emotion covers. 

I never saw these lines anywhere, and I doubt 
whether anyone has seen them before, while I am 
confident that I did not compose them. I had not 
then read Browning's "One Word More," but two 
days later in a magazine article I came across a 
quotation from that poem in which occurs the 
phrase "older lovers," the magazine having been 
brought to the house that day, and two days after 
the verse was written. A day or two later at the 
close of a communication from an entirely different 
source, and one in no way suggestive of Browning, 
the words, "One Word More" were rapidly 
written, followed by this verse : 

Round goes the world as song-birds go, 
There comes an age of overthrow- 
Strange dreams come true, yet still we dream 
Of deeper depths in Life's swift stream. 

This I did not compose, nor had I ever heard or 
seen it before. 

One evening it was promised that "Brain 



32 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

workers of philosophical bent " would answer our 
questions. The first question asked was, 

Question — From your standpoint do you con- 
sider death the end of conscious existence ? 

Answer — Death we know only as a phrase used 
to indicate change of environment. 

Q. — Is death expected on your plane as on ours, 
or do all understand that the next change is pro- 
gressive ? 

A.- — Slow are even those on our plane to under- 
stand the law of unending evolution. 

Q. — But we may apprehend what we do not 
fully understand or comprehend ? 

A. — Comprehension sees farther than under- 
standing. Comprehend means complete under- 
standing. 

Q. — Do you mean that comprehension is a word 
of wider significance than understanding ? 

A. — You are right. 

I had never given any thought to the difference 
between the words " understanding " and "com- 
prehending," and when this was written was not 
satisfied in my own mind that comprehend did 
mean more than understand. On the following 
clay I consulted Worcester's Unabridged Dictionary 
and to my surprise, under the word " comprehend " 
found this note: "Comprehend has a more 
extensive meaning than understand or apprehend." 
So in this case, as in several others I have not 
time to cite here, the intelligence which moved my 
hand to write gave me knowledge which I did not 
myself possess. Very often in place of writing, 
all I could get from them would be spiral lines. 
Sometimes a page would be crossed and recrossed 
with these lines as if with some definite purpose. 
This suggested to me the possibility that such 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. 33 

lines held some meaning unknown to me, and I 
put the question. The answer was given : 

We have different modes of thought from yours 
— and the spiral signs are most in use with us : 
Some of our less advanced scientists forget that 
on your plane our mode of control is not under- 
stood by you. Lines are made of such esoteric 
meaning that, while we understand at a glance, it 
is impossible for those on your plane to perceive 
any words. 

Mr. Underwood here remarked : ' ' There are 
numerous spirals — all modifications of the primary 
straight line." Then came the following : 

Yes, the spiral is a primal law, simple yet 
complex, which we who understand life's manifold 
ascensions grow to symbolize in our thought, 
language and writing. 

I am warned by the length of this paper that I 
must close without being able to give one tenth 
part of the many strange and surprising philo- 
sophical and other revelations or statements, 
which we have gained from, this strange source. 
I have confined myself to those which show most 
strongly evidence of an intelligence outside of Mr. 
U. or myself, the only two persons who have been 
concerned in obtaining them. To me personally 
these are not the most wonderful phases of ,this 
influence. The reasonable explanations given of 
the laws governing another state of human exist- 
ence, but very little different from this except in 
being a step forward in the direction of Mind — that 
is to me the most wonderful, but of that I cannot 
speak here . 

I know that my experience at this time is by 



34 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

no means exceptional. Before I had ever said one 
word to any human being except Mr. U. in regard 
to it, there came to me a confidential letter from a 
valued friend in another State, a lady of intellect 
and culture, confessing that like, but far more 
varied, phenomena were occurring through her. 
Like myself her position had been that of an 
agnostic, and the communications to her are very 
similar to those I have obtained. I bad not heard 
from her in a year previous to the receipt of this 
letter. I have been told of two or three other 
cases, so far unknown to the public, all occurring 
within the year, and to non- Spiritualists. And I 
judge from magazine articles written by such 
well-known people as O. B. Frothingham, Eliz- 
abeth Phelps Ward, andM. J. Savage, as well as 
from public utterances of Mrs. Livermore and 
others, that this wave of communication from 
some not fully understood source is far more 
extensive than is generally suspected. It is, 
therefore, time that all whose opinions may have 
weight, who have personal knowledge of such 
phenomena, relate what they have seen or experi- 
enced in order that the phenomena may be 
compared, and the real source from which they 
emanate may be discovered, if possible. 

One other strange experience in this line came 
to me a few years ago at the bedside of a dear 
friend at the point of death, which, perhaps, may 
be related in this connection. It was near mid- 
night ; death was momentarily expected. All the 
other watchers, exhausted by days of grief and 
care, were snatching an hour of rest ; and I stood 
alone looking at the unconscious face before me 



PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES. 35 

which was distinctly visible, though the light was 
heavily shaded to keep the glare from the dying 
eyes. All her life my friend had been a Christian 
believer, with an unwavering faith in a life beyond 
this, and for her sake a bitter grief came upon me 
because, so far as I could see, there were no 
grounds for that belief. I thought I could more 
easily let her go out into the unknown if I could 
but feel that her hope would be realized, and I put 
into words this feeling. I pleaded that if there 
were any of her own departed ones present at this 
supreme moment could they not and would they 
not give me some least sign that such was the fact, 
and I would be content. 

Slowly over the dying one's face spread a mel- 
low radiant mist — I know no other way to describe 
it. In a few moments it covered the dying face as 
with a veil, and spread in a circle of about a foot 
beyond, over the pillow, the strange yellowish- 
white light all the more distinct from the partial 
darkness of the room. Then from the center of 
this, immediately over the hidden face, appeared 
an apparently living face with smiling eyes which 
looked directly into mine, gazing at me with a look 
so full of comforting assurance that I could 
scarcely feel frightened. But it was so real and so 
strange that I wondered if I were temporarily 
crazed, and as it disappeared I called some one 
from another room, and went out into the open air 
for a few moments to recover myself under the 
midnight stars. When I was sure of myself I 
returned and took my place again alone. Then I 
asked that, if that appearance were real and not an 
hallucination, would it be made once more manifest 



36 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

to me ; and again the phenomenon was repeated, 
and the kind, smiling face looked up at me — a face 
new to me yet wondrously familiar. 

Afterwards I recalled my friend's frequent 
description of her dead father whom she dearly 
loved, but whom I had never seen, and I could not 
help the impression that it was his face I saw, the 
hour that his daughter died. 



FURTHER TESTS. 37 



CHAPTER II. 

FURTHER INSTANCES OF TRUTHFUL TESTS. 

By request of the Committee of the Psychical 
Science Congress, which held its session in 
Chicago during five days in August, 1893, I gave 
an address before that Congress embodying therein 
other instances of knowledge beyond my own, 
communicated through this writing, and with the 
elimination of one or two instances, which will be 
found more in detail in other chapters, I here 
reproduce the main part of that address which 
was listened to by the large audience present in 
one of the two largest halls of the Art Institute 
devoted to the sittings of the World's Congress 
Auxiliary of the Columbian Exposition, with pro- 
found interest and attention. 

As evidence of the popular interest in Psychical 
Research, I may here record the fact that when 
the Committee of the Psychical Science Congress. 
of which Prof. Elliott Coues was chairman, asked 
for a hall in the Art Institute for their Congress. 
President Bonney assigned them one of the many 
smaller halls for their meetings, thinking it would 
be quite large enough to accommodate all who 
were interested in that subject, but at the very 
first meeting the jam was such that the Congress 
had to ask for and was given a larger hall in which 
to hold the meeting, and the next day one of the 
two large halls was found necessary for the 
session which, though the conferences were very 



38 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

long, had a large attendance from beginning to 
close. 

THE ADDRESS. 

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Psychical Science Gon- 



I think it advisable to preface this account of 
the results of my personal experiments in 
automatic writing with a short statement of the 
mood of mind in which those experiments were 
begun. 

There is not within the sound of my voice today 
one man or woman more skeptical in regard to 
the reality of that which is known as psychical, 
occult, or spiritualistic phenomena than I was for 
many years of my life. And my disbelief was not 
the result of indifference in religious matters. Nor 
of mere bigoted ignorance, nor of fear of ghosts 
or demons, nor of intellectual contempt for Spirit- 
ualism, but it was the outcome of my reason, based 
on the facts of materialistic science. 

I came of religious ancestry ; the blood of 
Scottish Covenanters who gave up life and lands 
for their religious convictions, runs in my veins, 
and I was brought up in the firm belief in the 
Christian faith and the doctrines of the Methodist 
church. My heart inclined to do the right and my 
mind early turned to thoughtful considerations of 
religious questions, and yet at twenty, with no 
companions who shared my confidence or my con- 
victions, I had lost faith in Christianity as it had 
been taught me in all its hard materialism. But I 
longed to find the truth and I sought diligently in 
the region of reason and fact to find it ; I was 
often disheartened, and though I did not deny that 



FURTHER TESTS. . 39 

in the region of the unknown the truth concerning 
our being and existence might be hid, I had given 
up all hope of light — I freely acknowledged my 
agnosticism. 

As a child, though I thought I believed in God. 
the devil, heaven and hell, I was not at all given 
to imaginative superstitious fears concerning 
spirits ; I was never afraid in the dark, nor of 
graveyards, and I had no experiences tending to 
encourage such fear, and as I grew older and heard 
my mother relate some experiences of her own, of 
visions and voices, I felt a lofty feeling of pity for 
her superstitious imaginings ; later, I felt the same 
lofty pity for those among my friends who were 
Spiritualists, when they related some of their 
experiences, though I would not have hesitated to 
accept the statements of most of these in regard to 
any other subject. I did not even investigate, I 
threw aside the literature on the subject on a 
superficial reading with a feeling of contempt ; it 
did not interest me ; I was sure it was imagination, 
or partly due to some undiscovered law but mostly 
due to deliberate fraud. I attended no seances, 
interviewed no mediums. I make this statement 
of my state of mind and attitude toward Spirit- 
ualism, hoping those who listen to my further 
statements will bear this in mind. 

My first experience in so-called automatic writing 
dates back twenty years ago or more, when plan- 
chette was all the rage. But the experiments with 
that, though marked by some unaccountable writ- 
ings, were mainly made in company with varying 
groups of persons, many of them young and giddy, 
who looked upon the little machine not as an aid to 



40 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

serious scientific inquiry, but as a sort of witch-like 
fortune-teller, and though planchette would write 
under my hands, so inconsequent, trivial and inac- 
curate generally were the messages given, that I 
soon wearied of it and threw it aside. But my very 
first experiment with it was a remarkable one, 
which I have often recalled with ever increasing 
mystification, when trying to account for it from 
the standpoint of telepathy. 

In the small country village in Massachusetts 
which for more than thirty years was the home of 
my parents, a young lady had been presented with 
a planchette, and as she could get no writing from 
it, loaned it to me. At that time every morning 
there came to the house a blind man, a bachelor of 
middle age, a devout Roman Catholic whose early 
intention to become a priest had been frustrated 
by the loss of his sight. On account of his mis- 
fortune I used to read the daily news to him and 
relate to him anything that had occurred of 
interest. So I explained to him about planchette 
and brought it out to make trial of its powers in 
which I had not the slightest belief. Besides this 
devout Catholic there were only present my mother 
(an ardent Methodist) and myself. To my great 
surprise as soon as I placed my hands upon it, 
planchette began to move, then deliberately to 
form the letters of the name "Elizabeth." Natur- 
ally I thought this was written for me, but not 
recalling any dead person I knew by that name, I 
remembered hearing my mother speak of a sister 
Elizabeth of her own that had died in childhood. 

With this in mind I asked who "Elizabeth" 
wished to communicate with, "Philip P." was 



FURTHER TESTS. 41 

promptly written — the name of the blind man who 
was listening attentively. "Ask the last name," 
he interposed when I read this to him — "Elizabeth 
T." was written. "Tell Phillip I am often near 
him." "0, Mrs. Underwood," he exclaimed ex- 
citedly, "throw that thing away! It is of Satan— 
don't touch it again! Please don't." I looked at 
him in surprise, his face was flushed, he was shak- 
ing with emotion and his voice trembled. As soon 
as the name was written I remembered for the first 
time in years, the pretty girl of seventeen who bore 
it, and who died of consumption when L was about 
fourteen years old. Mr. P. was then a young man 
of about twenty. Though living in the same vil- 
lage, I did not then know either of them person- 
ally, nor whether they knew each other. In my 
mind I had never thought of either of them in rela- 
tion to the other, nor thought of her at all after her 
death. 

So I was deeply surprised when he declared in a 
rush of confidence, quite unlike his usual self, that 
he had loved this girl very dearly and her early 
death had been a great shock to him, though he 
had never before confessed that to a human being, 
and he felt convinced — why I could not understand 
— that the Evil One only could have inspired plan- 
chette with that message to himself when he had 
not thought of her for a long time. He would not 
allow me to ask any more questions for him. But 
to-day I fail to see in this instance the work of a 
subconscious self, or of thought tranference, since 
of those present my mother could not recall that 
she had ever known the girl; she had passed out 
of my recollection since my fifteenth year; neither 



42 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

of us knew that our blind friend had any interest 
in her, and he had long before half forgotten her, 
save as a boyish fancy; and as he had deceased rela- 
tives bearing the first name, it was not until the 
whole name was written that the thought of her 
crossed his mind. 

When between three and four years ago I first 
had access to the published proceedings of the 
English Society for Psychical Research, I was 
aroused to renewed interest in the subject. I re- 
membered that even during the planchette period 
I had found that my hand could be moved to write 
independent of my will; so I began at various 
times to try if I could get definite writing. It was 
the usual habit of my husband and self, nearly 
every evening, to sit by one large table strewn with 
writing materials, etc. , he busy with his work at 
one end, and I at the opposite side. It was gener- 
ally at such times when he was busy writing or 
reading opposite me that I made my experiments 
silently, for I did not at first speak to him of the 
matter, as I knew he was opposed to the planchette 
business as being frivolous and leading to what he 
considered superstition and folly. 

I thus got a number of communications signed 
by various names and written in different hand- 
writings, but very soon names of people whom Mr. 
Underwood had known more intimately than I had, 
began to be written, accompanied by appeals that 
he should recognize them. Then I spoke to him 
about it, and he questioned the power that used 
my hand, for he saw that the handwriting was not 
mine and knew me well enough to be assured of 
my own good faith in the matter. I soon became 



FURTHER TESTS. 43 

intensely interested in this writing-, for whatever 
it might seem to others, to me personally who 
knew most surely that the words written never 
even crossed my brain before they appeared to 
my eyes, though written by my hand and pen 
without any effort of will of my own, the thing 
was marvelous. My will was only directed to 
keeping my hand perfectly passive, never trying 
to finish a word or sentence left unfinished. I was 
so interested that in the absence of Mr. Under- 
wood, filled with desire to get answers to questions 
which had arisen in my mind to be asked this 
intelligence. I would try over and over again, 
vainly, to get this writing, but it was some time 
before I connected my failure with his absence. 
So dependent on his presence is the power to 
write that if in the midst of a sentence he leaves 
the room, the sentence is broken off. Of course I 
can at any time write of my own will my own 
thoughts. 

Mr. Underwood and I have already published a 
few of the more striking incidents of this com- 
munication with unseen correspondents, such as 
information given which we both doubted when 
written, giving verbal and decided expression to 
our doubts at the time, and receiving emphatic 
assurance of the truth of such information through 
my hand, of which we afterward received unex- 
pected confirmation. I will not here repeat the 
instances before published, but will briefly call 
attention to some later instances of knowledge 
outside my own consciousness. 

In the article entitled "Psychic Experiences," 
which appeared in the Arena of August, 1891, and 



44 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

which was sent to that magazine nearly a year 
previously, I quoted from a communication pro- 
fessedly given by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and 
Robert Browning, but eliminated from it a sentence 
which I feared might be attributed by the admirers 
of Robert Browning to my own predilections in 
favor of Mrs. Browning. When her name was 
written I made the remark that I felt that she was 
the greater poet of the two, but that her merit had 
been overshadowed by the wordy admiration of 
her husband's devotees. Immediately my hand 
was moved to write: "Robert Browning says 
you are in the right, my dear Alter Ego — I was 
never her equal." I did not then think that 
Robert Browning thus believed, and when about 
two years after, Mrs. Orr's Life of Browning 
arjpeared I was startled to find that during his life 
he had over and over again asserted her superiority 
as a poet to himself, as when he reproves Madam 
Du Quaire for giving him greater praise thus : 

You are wrong— quite wrong — she has genius ; 
I am only a painstaking fellow. Can't you imagine 
a clever sort of angel who plots and plans, and tries 
to build up something — he wants to make you see 
it as he sees it — shows you one point of view, car- 
ries you off to another, hammering into your head 
the thing he wants you to understand, and while 
this bother is going on God Almighty turns you off 
a little star? That's the difference between us. 
The true creative power is hers, not mine. 

But I thought the sentence which followed this 
declaration that he was " never her equal," very 
like Mrs. Browning — 

Robert gave me life — he gave me to Love — he 



FURTHER TESTS. 45 

and I are but two sides of one individuality. Both 
of us understand this . 

As I entered upon these experiments solely for 
my own satisfaction and now feel as if the intelli- 
gence when it can be obtained is as if from per- 
sonal friends, I have no disposition or intention to 
use the power for the experiments of other people, 
so that I have not even attempted to "get commu- 
nications " for the many who have asked me to do 
so. I am very strongly averse to so doing, but in 
two or three instances when my sympathies were 
deeply moved by the appeal of greiving hearts, I 
have yielded to try, but in very doubtful mood. 
In only two cases was I apparently successful — 
one has been related in Mr. Underwood's articles 
in the Arena. The second was that of a daughter 
very much attached to her father who before his 
death had been a correspondent of my husband. 
but we had never met father or daughter, and 
knew nothing of their circumstances, affairs or 
surroundings. The daughter wrote despairingly 
to Mr. U. and then to me, begging that I try to get 
a word in regard to her father's state because she 
said he was greatly attached to Mr. U. 

I consented at last and held her letters near me 
while waiting for results. Writing came, but from 
' ' Pharos " as the individuality which during the 
past two or three years claims to control the sit- 
tings, names himself. Said he knew of no such 
person as the one named, but would try to find out, 
and bring word if we would sit the next evening. 
This we did, and it was then said that he had been 
found, and through Pharos gave at least a beauti- 
fully worded long message to his daughter. We 



46 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

asked that if this were really the party, he would 
write of things which the daughter would recog- 
nize as a test of his personality. Among other 
things, we were told to " ask her whom she will 
ask to share the .trust I left with her. What that 
trust is, she knows, and I need not specify," — her 
"self sacrifice" for his sake was referred to, and 
she was to remember the conversations in regard 
to spiritual things held between the father and 
daughter the week before his departure and she 
would understand that their hopes were more than 
verified. 

All these references were mere blind words to 
us, but I copied the writing and sent it on to the 
daughter with a feeling that it was all nonsense 
and guesswork. In a few days I received a joyful 
letter from the daughter explaining to me what the 
"trust" was, what the sacrifice she h.ad made, 
and what the conversations were about. Of course 
she wanted me to try to get other communications, 
but that I would not do, and may as well say here 
that I am not in that business at all. 

It may be asked why I was afraid this message 
might be all nonsense coming from such a source? 
Simply because a number of these messages have 
been found to be nonsense and untrue, but that fact 
does not lessen the marvelousness of the informa- 
tion given from this source which is true. When 
I take the writers to task for these untruthful com- 
munications I am told that it will be all made clear 
to me when I come over on their plane. I am sure 
it is not clear to me now, but then I am convinced 
there is still a vast store of knowledge in the Uni- 
verse which I have not gained, so I am content to 



FURTHER TESTS. 47 

seek through some rubbish for the gems which 
may be hidden. 

For a year or so after I began to get this writ- 
ing, we said nothing to even our most intimate 
friends in regard to it. I had a nervous horror of 
being considered a "medium," and besides, knew 
that had any of my friends told me similar experi- 
ences I should have considered them on the verge 
of insanity, and so I begged my husband not to 
mention the matter to any one while we continued 
our investigations. At first, too, I destroyed the 
sheets of paper used in these communications from 
fear that stray sheets covered with the scrawl- 
ng writing might be recognized as "spirit writ- 
ng" by any caller, but when they began to grow so 
nteresting Mr. Underwood asked me to preserve 
them, and I also began to write the question as soon 
as the reply was written, immediately above the 
reply so as to keep a straight record of question 
and answer; our questions were always asked or- 
ally and most frequently arose from something 
which had been written. 

Now I will explain how I came to give my ex- 
periences to the public. Very often when I ex- 
pressed pleasure at some statement made as to 
spirit-life I was told to " share with others the in- 
formation given me" and asked "when would I 
give to the world statements made to me as to con- 
tinued existence," but I did not feel ready at my 
age to be branded as a lunatic, and so I paid little 
attention to these remarks. By and by some 
pleasant message would be interrupted suddenly 
and my hand would seem to be seized with a vigor- 
ous power as of indignation and the word ' ' Cow- 



48 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

ard " would be interpolated in a bold handwriting. 
As it was no unusual thing for one communication 
to be suddenly broken off to give place to an alto- 
gether different one (like the switching off of a 
telephone message) and as all sorts of unrecognized 
names were written, and I had heard of people 
whose name was "Coward," I was not sure but it 
was so in this case, or that some personality was 
conscience smitten and took this method of confes- 
sing its cowardice, especially as nothing else fol- 
lowed in connection. I am speaking, as you per- 
ceive, as though these communications were really 
spirits of deceased persons who could thus control 
a living hand. " Spirits" from the first they per- 
sisted in calling themselves and I could do no less 
in courtesy than accept their own definition. But 
as the word "Coward" was written often and al- 
ways in this unexpected and apparently earnest 
way — I asked at length why that word was so often 
written. "Is it written as a confession or a name?" 
" Neither," was the reply. Then I asked, "Who 
is the Coward?" and the reply was written quickly, 
" You are, Sara." 

Now, as heretofore, I had always had the 
courage of my convictions and been outspoken in 
declaring them, however unpopular. I had never 
thought myself lacking in courage, so I rather 
resented the imputation, asking wherein I was a 
coward. "Because you dare riot speak out and 
confess you receive messages from us," was the 
reply. I did not at once express readiness to 
make public this fact, and "Coward" continued 
to be occasionally interjected in the writings, 
sometimes followed by the word " shame." Again 



FURTHER TESTS. 49 

I protested, saying : "Why do you write Coward 
so often, intimating that you mean I am one?" 
' ' Well, we are very anxious to have the truth of 
soul communion established. We have done our 
best to awaken interest among others on your 
plane and meet with so little sensible appreciation, " 
was answered. From this a discussion ensued as 
to the way in which we could make public the facts 
in the interest of psychical science, and a sug- 
gestion was made by our unseen friends, which 
suggestion was followed after careful deliberation 
on the possible outcome of such publication, but I 
confess with a little fear and trembling on my own 
part. After I expressed my readiness, " coward " 
was never again written. 

I have spoken of "Pharos," the name given as 
that of the control who professes now to act as 
amanuensis for al] who send communications to 
us. I did not like the idea of any one individuality 
doing this, but after some months when the writ- 
ing was of all sorts, I began to notice that the best 
and most coherent messages were now in one 
handwriting but I gave that fact no particular 
thought. It will be remembered in my Arena 
article that I spoke of a friend in a distant State 
who wrote me, before I had told any one of my 
experience, of a very similar experience on her 
own part just developed. I took her at once into 
my confidence and we exchanged specimens of the 
writing. She thought them so similar in tone that 
she fancied they emanated from the same mind. 
She wrote me the name which had been given her 
as the controlling guide and wished me to ask if it 



50 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

were the same as mine. I did so, and the reply 
was "no." I asked if there was any one in special 
control of the writing received by me. The answer 
was "yes " and the name given was Pharos. Now 
"Pharos" is a word so rarely used that I had 
never before had ray attention drawn to it. It was 
when thus written an entirely new word to me — 
and like some other words used in these communi- 
cations, I had to look it up in the encyclopedias 
and dictionary and I was delighted to find its 
significance was so appropriate— "a light tower." 
Since then, I must own that "Pharos " has become 
as real an individuality to me as any one of various 
living beings with whom I have been in corre- 
spondence for years without meeting face to face 
— and I think I would recognize the signature 
anywhere as surely as I do those of these living 
correspondents. 

I have come to accept the common phraseology 
of these communications so much that I find myself 
mentally protesting against the word just used — 
• ' living correspondents " — as opposed to these 
unseen friends who have in many emphatic ways 
declared that they are "now more alive than ever." 
In speaking of those who have passed over to the 
great majority, I of course often used the words, 
"When he died," "Since his death," "When we 
die," etc., in my questions, but never does such 
use of these words pass unnoticed or unrebuked. 
"When he came over to our plane of life," "When 
he experienced the change doctors call death," 
"When I passed over to this phase of life," "Since 
his change of form." "When you come over on our 



FURTHER TESTS. 51 

side the veil" or "mask," are some of the phrases 
used in speaking of what we call death. 

If this writing in any obscure, unrecognized way 
emanates from the sub-consciousness of the only 
two parties concerned in it, Mr. Underwood and 
myself, I am at a loss to understand the tone taken 
toward us both. There are often statements made 
and opinions given of affairs and persons, diamet- 
rically opposed to our own convictions. We are 
personally reproved or differed from and patron- 
izingly addressed as "children," "pupils," etc. 
Mr. Underwood's close criticism of vague state- 
ments was often resented. When the intelligence 
complained once of his being "antagonistic," he 
replied that he was not antagonistic, but wishing 
clear answers to his questions was apt to empha- 
size his queries. Then the following was written: 
"Now, friend Underwood, sink your line into the 
depths of your being, and see if antagonism is not 
your general state of intellectual consciousness?" 

It is wholly unlike all I know of my own nature 

to accept authority submissively; then how can I 

believe that such counsel as the following could 

emanate from my own mind? This was dashed off 

rapidly as a good-night word — like many of the 

rhymed answers which are given through that 

source : 

Child of Spirit and of Truth, 
Thine must be the words of Ruth, 
" Whither leads my spirit guide 
With that leading I abide," 
Truth shall lead thee to our side, 
Error far shall from thee hide, 
Loving truth as thou hast done, 
Spirit's love you will have won. 



52 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

One of the strange things, to me, in this writing 
is the tendency the writers exhibit to give answers 
in rhyme — without apparent pause to search for 
the rhythmic word. This I could never do of my 
own self. What poetry I have written I have 
always been obliged to wait occasionally for the 
expressive metrical word. I cannot claim, how- 
ever, for this automatic rhyme, a high degree of 
poetic merit. 

Often when our questions seem perfectly clear 
to our own minds, exception is taken to the way 
they are put, something after this fashion : "Would 
you state more clearly your question," "Change 
your wording," " Void are some of your queries to 
our perceptions," "You have such a vague manner 
of mouthing your withinness," "Shall give you 
answers when questions are definitely asked." 
Sometimes they would offer us a substitute for the 
form into which we put our questions, writing 
"should you not ask" — the substituted form 
following which we often found made the reply 
clearer. Occasionally questions were suggested 
by themselves ; quite early in these communica- 
tions when nothing previously written led to the 
subject this was written : "We want you both to 
state what gave startling emphasis to Sara's 
mediumship?" At the moment we were not pre- 
pared to reply and before we had time to put into 
words any thoughts of our own, this followed: 
"Was it not communications of a higher order 
than those generally received from so-called spir- 
its ?" which was quite true. 

There runs all through these writings constant 



FURTHER TESTS. 53 

complaint of the limitations of our language and 
our bounded knowledge, which make clear expla- 
nations of the spheres to which they belong 
impossible. In messages purporting to come from 
those recently deceased, there is always an intima- 
tion of changed sense conditions which puzzled 
and perplexed at first, but were enjoyed when 
understood. One such, being asked what were 
his first thoughts on awakening in his new life 
wrote, "My first thought was violent whirl of 
emotion at what seemed an attempt to impose upon 
me. Sign language alone being presented, I could 
not express my perplexity, and when it dawned 
upon memory that when I was possessed of speech 
I was given to understand that what doctors call 
death was possible — then came the query — "if a 
man die shall he live again? " and was this strange 
state a new life? When asked, "How long was 
it before you grew convinced of your continued 
existence?" First answer was, "Cessation of 
your time confuses us here"; then was asked, 
"According to your idea how long should you 
think?" The reply was, " Some hours only." 

Many varieties of script have appeared when my 
hand has held the pen, while my own commonplace 
penmanship does not seem capable of much modifi- 
cation, at any rate I have not been able to change 
it of my will, much less to write in reversed hand 
so that a mirror's aid was necessary to read it — 
an experience which occurred once to me. The 
person whose name it was, was at the time uncon- 
scious and near death, many miles away and I was 
not even thinking of him . Two or three times my 



54 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

hand wrote words upside down, and I have never 
been able to write that way of my own will, nor to 
get such writing since. 

I have been asked if during this writing I have 
any abnormal sensations — if I am perfectly con- 
scious — if my hand or any portion of my system is 
insensible to pain at the time — if the writing 
exhausts me — if the thought written or the phrase- 
ology used is impressed upon my mind, etc. , before 
it appears on paper. To which I reply: 

X have no recognized "abnormal" sensations 
unless I should so designate the gentle thrill which 
announces the presence of the writing force and 
which comes often to me even when I am so situ- 
ated that I cannot respond by trying to get writing. 
This descends upon the top of my head first, and 
if I am trying to get writing moves down through 
neck, shoulder and arm, into the hand holding the 
pen. It is, as near as I can describe it, like a 
gentle spray from a magnetic battery, pleasant 
and agreeable, never harsh or violent. Otherwise 
I am as normal as at this moment — alert in mind 
and ready to question, criticise, or enjoy and 
admire the bright unexpected answers given 
through my hand to questions propounded by Mr. 
Underwood or myself, mainly by Mr. U. as often 
these unseen friends refuse to answer my queries, 
unless he voices them, and their chief interest 
seems to center in him. 

At first I often felt half-provoked at his excus- 
ing himself from further questioning on the plea 
of tiredness, but before long we both began to 
observe that if the writing continued more than 



FURTHER TESTS. 55 

a short time it had always this effect upon him, 
and coupled with the fact that I can get no writing 
without his presence and that it had been written 
that the "power" was drawn from him, we could 
not help coming to the conclusion that the writing 
did exhaust him in some mysterious way. There 
is no insensibility of my hand or any part of my 
body. The words written are never previously 
impressed upon my mind. I follow the words 
with my eyes but cannot always read them at once 
as they are often written more rapidly than my 
own normal writing could be done, and there is no 
stopping to " dot the i's," or " cross the t's." I do 
that afterward in reading them over. Often as I 
note the first letters of a word my own thought 
runs on ahead and I guess the word is going to be 
this or that, but the intelligence which rules seems 
to be cognizant of my guessing and to take a 
perverse pleasure in twisting the words into some- 
thing wholly unexpected, yet bringing the sentence 
into harmonious thought when finished. 

Now as to the disappointments in this writing, 
which to some will militate against belief in the 
spiritual origin claimed for it. With all my 
experience in it I would not today venture upon 
any change, business venture, friendship, or line 
of conduct advised from this source unless my own 
common material sense endorsed it. Indeed, I 
would not take as fact .any of its even reasonable 
advice without question, because it is not reliable 
as a guide in earthly affairs. Then, it is never at 
command of one's wish — the impediments to con- 
nected replies seem to be very great. There is 



5b AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

constant talk of " conditions ;" but what the true, 
right conditions are, even those who take advant- 
age of them when they are right, do not seem to 
understand. It would be amusing if it were not so 
pitiful to read the letters from mourning hearts 
which have come to me since the publication of the 
Arena articles, asking me to obtain for them such 
and such information, and from unnamed parties 
as if they thought I had the knowledge of all the 
spheres on tap to be drawn from at will in labeled 
and desired quantities at any mere request, when 
the truth is that it is only occasionally I can obtain 
it. It is not my will that controls, and I can rarely 
get a message from my dearest friends. 

Then the assumption of great names by appar- 
ently commonplace minds is a very strange thing. 
I was horrified and annoyed when this occurred 
under my own hand because that is one of the 
things which disgusted me with spiritual messages 
before this writing came to me, as I had occasion- 
ally glanced over such messages. When I pro- 
tested against such assumption I was told that 
"Elaine and Guinevere were not real beings but 
types. So somewhere in our sphere are spirits 
who embody cleverness in creations of their own 
fancy, and adopt names suited to that fancy," 
which I take to mean that where they aspire to 
become like any thinker, with whom they are in 
sympathy, they take the name of that ideal. There 
is much confusion as to names and dates in all 
this writing, and identifying facts are very hard 
to get from this source. 

I have been told, mainly by friends who are 



FURTHER TESTS. 57 

theosophists, that I do wrong to investigate and 
experiment in this direction, that it will lead to 
great evils . In regard to this advice I do as I have 
ever done all my life in exercising my own judgment 
in pursuit of truth. In my own case I may say 
that I have derived great pleasure, and a much 
wider range of knowledge from these experiments. 
They have made many dark and misunderstood 
things clear to me in a most reasonable way. I am 
told also that this investigation is very hurtful to 
health and sanity. I have been engaged in it over 
three years now, but only for my own satisfaction, 
as I would in no wise become an experimenter for 
others, or a subject of experiments. Though 
during all my earlier years I was a semi-invalid, 
yet my general health has never been better than 
during these last three or four years, but I do not 
ascribe that to my investigations of psychic 
phenomena. I do not think that has anything to 
do with my health in one way or another. Another 
threat was that it would upset my nerves. I think 
that I never in my life suffered less from nervous- 
ness or loss of sleep, and dreams are far less 
frequent with me than ever before. 

I have not accepted this writing as something 
awesome or darkly mysterious, for I have found 
that thousands beside myself are possessed of this 
gift and other gifts far more wonderful. I think 
that we are at the legitimate evolutionary 
threshold of discovery of laws that have been 
forever in operation, as the laws of gravity and 
evolution were ever in operation before their 
discovery. But only through discovery and by 



58 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

knowledge can we apply those laws to our own 
physical and spiritual well being ; and I intend to 
learn all I can of them that is open to me. 

In conclusion I quote a sentence from the great 
mass of writings from this source, more of which 
I hope sometime to publish, a sentence with which 
I am in full agreement : 

On our side, truths of existence called super- 
natural, are not above nature ; but are most surely 
in the line of orderly evolution. 



THE EXPLANATION. 59 



CHAPTER III. 

DOES SCIENCE EXPLAN THIS? 

Mr. Josiah P. Mendum, publisher for many 
years of the Boston Investigator, a well-known 
free thought weekly paper, died at his home in 
Melrose, Mass., early Sunday morning, January 
11, 1891. For more than twenty-five years Mr. 
Underwood had had business relations with him 
and had contributed frequently to his paper. I 
had met him a number of times on public occasions, 
but did not know him intimately, and knew little 
about his early life. The number of the Investi- 
gator following his death was elated Wednesday 
January 14th, and contained only a brief announce- 
ment of the event without any statement as to 
disease. We had known for some time of his 
failing health, and knowing that he was about 
eighty years of age attributed the cause to general 
decay consequent on his advanced years. 

The next number of the Investigator, dated 
Wednesday, January 21st, which contained a 
sketch of his life, death and burial, did not reach 
Chicago until the afternoon of Friday, January 
23d, and did not reach my hands until Saturday 
afternoon, and it was not until Sunday the 25th, 
that I found time to read the account. Mr. Under- 
wood being absent from Chicago from the 23d till 
the evening of Monday, January 28th, did not see 



60 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

the paper until the 27th, nearly a week from the 
date of its issue. 

On the evening of Tuesday, January 20th, before 
the number of the Investigator dated the 21st had 
been sent out from the Boston office, experiencing 
those slight electric sensations which with me 
generally precede written communications', I sat 
down, pen in hand, to experiment, without saying 
anything to Mr. Underwood who was at the time 
lying on a sofa near by, tired, and in a drowsy 
mood. Neither of us was thinking of Mr. Mendum 
at the time, nor had we anything in relation to him 
in our minds. After a few meaningless words 
were written (a very usual occurrence at the begin- 
ning of these communications) came clearly and 
firmly written, " B. F. Underwood wanted." I 
read this to Mr. Underwood, and asked, ' ' Who is 
it wants him? " "J. P. Mendum," was the reply. 
Then followed in the order given these oral ques- 
tions and written answers : 

B. F. XL— Well, if this is Mr. Mendum, what 
have you to tell us about your new condition ? 

A. — That I am very much surprised. 

B. F. U. — Do you consider it an improvement 
upon this life of ours? 

A. — Spirit life is too new. I can't understand yet. 
Panorama of life goes on. 

B. F. U. — What is the present state of your 
mind? 

A. — Perplexed. 

B. F. U. — Did you, while here, have any definite 
ideas in regard to continued existence? 

A. — Only that my dear wife believed most truly 
that she would live on. 



THE EXPLANATION. 61 

In regard to this statement I do not yet know 
whether Mrs. Mendum — who died some years 
before her husband, and to whom he was most 
deeply attached — had any belief in Spiritualism. 

B. F. U. — Is there anything particular which 
you wish to say to us? 

A. — Pleased to learn that the Underwoods were 
possible mediums. 

B. F. U. — Doubtless you were somewhat unpre- 
pared to find yourself in a state of existence like 
your present one? 

A. — When I first printed the Investigator I said 
I did not think Seaver, Kneeland or freethinkers 
generally, were on the right side, but Thomas 
Paine's works converted me to their opinions, and 
so now I am all upset. 

I, at least had the impression that Mr. Mendum 
had been a free thinker from youth. Mr. Under- 
wood thinks he may have known or inferred that 
Mr. M — was in earlier years a believer in some 
form of Christianity, but he did not at this point 
recall this or say anything to me, so it was with 
much surprise that I read on Sunday, the 25th of 
January the following corroboration of the fore- 
going communication, given in Chicago, Tuesday 
evening, January 20th : 

In the summer of 1833, Mr. Mendum made the 
acquaintance of a young man who was a great 
admirer of Abner Kneeland. They became room- 
mates and boarded together for some time. To 
have Mr. Mendum attend Mr. Kneeland's lectures 
was the ardent desire of his friend, but having 
formed a very bad idea of the lecturer from what 
Christians had said of him, and fearing to hear, 
lest he be convinced and the religion of his child- 



62 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

hood unsettled, he preferred to keep to the old 
beaten road of superstition, and let others follow 
the path of free inquiry if they preferred. Uni- 
versalism was sufficient for him, and the "delu- 
sions of Infidelity he did not care to listen to," 
much less to embrace them, which he feared would 
be the result if he gave its advocate a hearing. 
Thus be resisted until the kind and fatherly Abner 
Kneeland was prosecuted for blasphemy. Then it 
was that his strong sense of justice rebelled 
against this iniquity of established authority and 
his own inconsistency became apparent, in his con- 
demnation of a man's religious opinions whose 
lectures he had refused to hear or read. He then 
as a matter of fairness resolved to give Mr. Knee- 
land a hearing, and the following Sunday evening 
found him and his friend duly seated in Julian 
Hall, listening to the words of the great iconoclast, 
whose subject was: " The Treatment of Criminals." 
Mr. Mendum left the hall after the meeting, feeling 
much enlightened by the discourse of the speaker, 
and although he did not at once embrace all the 
ideas of Mr. Kneeland, he often after this attended 

his meetings After Mr. Kneeland's release 

from prison, Mr. Mendum was engaged to print 
the Investigator, and when Mr. Kneeland left 
Boston for the West, Mr. Mendum became its 

publisher and Mr. Horace Seaver its editor 

The works of Thomas Paine, both in his efforts to 
establish the American Republic and in his 
attacks upon the Christian religion, challenged his 
admiration and created in him a true appreciation 
of the character of the man. 

Observe the coincidence in the use of the word 
' ' print " which I should certainly have rendered 
" publish," yet "print " was correct. 

S. A. U. — How does it happen, Mr. Mendum, 
that you called for Mr. Underwood since I was not 



THE EXPLANATION. 63 

thinking of you at all ? Why did you think you 
could be put into communication with him through 
me? 
A. — Because I heard of him the first thing here. 

B. F. U. — Have you met any old friends where 
you are now ? 

A.— No, I haven't seen any old friend. 

S. A. U. — Not even your wife ? 
A.- — Lizzie still lives. 

I did not know the name of Mr. Mendum's wife 
who died years before him. I knew he had 
daughters named Lydia, Lottie and Lizzie. I had 
a faint impression that her name was Lydia, and 
as the foregoing was written, so stated to Mr. 
Underwood. He said he did not remember that 
he ever knew her first name. I remarked that 
perhaps the knowledge that she had a daughter 
Lizzie might have caused this name to be written, 
or perhaps the communicating intelligence got the 
daughter's name instead of that of the wife. I did 
not know until the Investigator of the 21st was 
received, several days later, that Mrs. Mendum's 
name was Elizabeth, and don't now know whether 
in life he addressed or spoke of her as "Lizzie," 
or Elizabeth. In regard to this point I quote the 
Investigator : 

In October, 1847, Mr. Mendum was married in 
New York to Miss Elizabeth Munn, of that city, a 
lady of pronounced liberal ideas. 

B. F. U.— Now then, Mr. Mendum, if these 
answers really come from you, I wish to ask you a 
question. 

S. A. U. — Wait — something is being written. 



64 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

What followed was in regard to some private 
matters of no importance in this public statement, 
but such as might very well be borne in mind by 
the person represented to be in communication 
with us. When this was finished, Mr. U. still 
having his question in mind reverted to it, as 
follows : 

Q. — If this is really Mr. Mendum, can you tell 
us of what disease you died ? 

I was greatly surprised at such a question and 
protested that as we both knew he died from old 
age it was senseless to ask it ; but Mr. U. said he 
had a reason for asking which he would not tell 
me then, and repeated : ' ' Can the intelligence 
writing tell us of what disease Mr. M. died ?" 

A little unwillingly I held my hand passive 
while he asked the question, feeling quite sure if 
any reply was given it would be in accordance 
with my own opinion — and the first answer 
did not surprise me. It was: "Don't know," 
written slowly as if considering. I read it aloud 
with a half smile as proving that I was right, but 
to my mystification Mr. U. did not seem satisfied 
and said : ' ' Surely you can remember from what 
disease you suffered while here ?" Then the word 
"ulcer" was plainly written. I thought this 
nonsense, and was surprised to see that Mr. U. 
seemed much interested, and continued : 

Q. — I want Mr. Mendum to state m what part of 
his body the ulcer was ? 

I still held the pen in the position where it 
stopped after writing the word "ulcer" and now 



THE EXPLANATION. 65 

it moved on, writing rapidly and clearly "of 
stomach," making the answer read "Ulcer of 
stomach." 

Then Mr. U. said : " Well, that is remarkable — 
for just before leaving the office to-night I 
happened to come across a short notice of Mr. 
Mendum's death in some Boston paper — I think it 
was ' Tlie Banner of Light ' — which stated that 
he died from cancer of the stomach — and the terms 
'ulcer 'and ' cancer ' being often ignorantly used 
interchangeably it greatly surprised me when you, 
who knew nothing whatever of the cause of his 
death, wrote the word ' ulcer ' — and now I am still 
more astonished when the precise location of the 
disease is given." 

Just then the pen in my hand wrote : ' ' Cancer 
— some said." 

The following day, Wednesday, January 21st, 
Mr. Underwood tried to find the paper in which 
"Cancer of the stomach" was given as the cause 
of Mr. Mendum's death, but could not. He was 
called out of the city Friday, the 23rd, and did not 
return until the evening of the 26th ; but on 
Sunday the 25th, I found in the Investigator of 
the 21st the following : 

Cancer of the stomach was the disease, accord- 
ing to the physician's certificate, from which he 
died. But the taper had burned to its close, and 
his eighty years of toil had so ripened his life that 
he dropped into the dreamless sleep quietly and 
as naturally as the engine stops when the machin- 
ery wears out. 

Will thought-transference, hypnotism, or sub- 



66 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

consciousness or the subliminal self account for 
all the statements in the communications given, 
which so closely tallied with the Investigator's 
account, not then sent out from the printing press ? 
My own mind was making vigorous protest, whilst 
it was being written against the answer which 
was thus given in regard to the disease from which 
Mr. Mendum died. I was, I will add, entirely 
normal in mind and thought while the messages 
were written through my hand by the invisible 
intelligence, and I felt deeply averse to being 
made the medium of private personal matters in 
which I had no interest- 
Then in regard to the word "ulcer" being 
written when Mr. U. had the word "cancer" in his 
mind, and I had not the remotest thought of 
either word. Does thought-transference explain 
that change of word? It seems to me rather that 
a third intermediary mind must be admitted to 
whom the word "ulcer" might have suggested 
itself as equivalent or akin to cancer. 

As I have since come to know that Mr. Mendum's 
son, the present publisher of the Investigator, was 
the writer of the sketch of his father's life which 
appeared in the Investigator of January 21st, 1891 
— a person with whom I had no intimate acquaint- 
ance, I cannot understand how my mind could be 
put into unconscious communication with his at a 
distance of over a thousand miles, so that the 
purport of several parts of that sketch could be 
written by my hand at least four days before I 
read it in the Investigator. 

Another instance of knowledge possessed by the 



THE EXPLANATION. 67 

intelligence using my hand outside of our own, was 
given by Mr. Underwood in an article published in 
the Arena of June, 1892, which I here reproduce in 
his own words : 

' ' In other cases the writing contained evidence 
of knowledge that Mrs. Underwood never could 
have obtained in any other way. She gave one or 
two instances in the August Arena. I will relate 
another of her experiences, which, in my opinion, 
proves that there are supernormal methods of 
obtaining knowledge. 

"One morning, a message purporting to be from 
a young man recently deceased, was received. 
Neither Mrs. U. nor I had ever seen his hand- 
writing. We knew his name only as William S. 
The message was signed "Z. W. S." At the time, 
I remarked that I did not believe there was any Z 
in his name, and in this opinion Mrs. U. concurred. 
A few days afterwards we met the father and the 
mother of the young man, who were so impressed 
with the resemblance between the handwriting 
and that of their son that they wished to take the 
writing with them. There was a Z in the name, 
but it was the initial of his second name, and not 
of the first, as it was written. In the presence of 
the young man's mother, Mrs. U.'s hand was 
moved to write, and the lady asked if her father 
would give a test by writing his name. The first 
name, Solomon, was written slowly; and after a 
pause, the surname was written very quickly. 
Mrs. U. did not know and never had known the 
name, which was written correctly; and Mr. S., 
who is a lawyer and a man of critical and discrimi- 



DO AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

nating mind, and his wife, both declared that the 
signature closely resembled that of the old gentle- 
man. Some days ago I wrote to Mr. S. asking 
him whether, after further reflection, he could 
suggest a possible explanation of what. Mrs. U. 
wrote, without recourse to any occult theory. He 
replied and referred to the message purporting to 
be from his son, thus : 

' I have compared it with the signatures of our 
boy. As I told you in Chicago at the time, the 
writing bears a very strong resemblance to his 
writing. Mrs. U. did not, in my opinion, either 
consciously or unconsciously, have any knowledge 
of Will's full name. The writing, while quite 
similar to Will's, is very different from Mrs. 
Underwood's. My wife's father's name had not 
been mentioned at all. Never had been in Mrs. 
U.'s presence. I don't think she had ever met a 
member of Mrs. S. 's family by that name, yet she 
certainly wrote the name of Mrs. S.'s father, 
Solomon M., very plainly, when asked to write 
the name of the person who had just written that 
he had something to say. This writing was also 
very, very similar to the handwriting of the old 
gentleman. 

• The test, to my mind, was quite convincing — 
more so than almost anything I ever saw; yet I 
have no fixed or positive opinion as to how it was 
done. Still, I must, in justice to my own intelli- 
gence, record myself as against the theory of 
sub-conscious action on the part of Mrs. U. on the 
ground that she never knew, consciously or other- 
wise, enough on the subject to write what she did. 

'Telepathy might apply to Mrs. S.'s father's name 
because she was thinking strongly of him at the 
time; still, the theory, in my opinion, falls very 
far below what I would call proof of telepathy, 



THE EXPLANATION. 69 

thoug'h I am quite a believer in telepathy as an 
established fact.' " 

I may pertinently give as the conclnsion of this 
chapter where I have given the experiences con- 
cerning the publisher of the Boston Investigator, 
a materialistic weekly paper, a somewhat con- 
vincing automatic communication purporting to 
come from that publisher's long time co-worker 
and intimate friend, Horace Seaver, editor for 
many years of the Investigator who passed from 
earth a year or two previous to Mr Mendum's 
demise. 

To show the frequent lack of sequence of thought 
or purpose between varying communications I will 
here give the questions and answers preceding the 
one from Mr. Seaver. The answers to these were 
written in a free, flowing business hand. Apropos 
of something we had been reading, we asked the 
following : 

Question. — From your point of view is suicide 
under any circumstances, even the most harassing, 
advisable or right? 

Answer.- — Long ago, philosophers asked this 
question. Don't you see that as we are placed, an 
affirm tive answer would not do? 

Q. — But you know that the hardships of this 
world often become so seemingly unbearable to 
sensitive souls that suicide to such seems the only 
gateway of relief? 

A. — Never fear what may happen on earth. 
This sphere corrects many mistakes on yours, but 
is far from perfect. 

With our minds on this subject, now ensued a 
little pause, when the pen began to move again, 



70 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

but the style of the writing was changed — a fair 
imitation of printed letters formed into the words, 
' 'I still live — Horace Sea ver. " The quotation from 
Webster is characteristic, as in conversation and 
public speaking, Mr. Seaver was fond of quoting 
from distinguished sources. 

B. F. U.— Is this really Mr. Seaver ? 
A. — Yes, Benjamin. 

While Mr. U. was never addressed by his family, 
friends or myself by his first name, but by the 
diminutive of his second, Mr. Seaver who had 
known Mr. U. from his eighteenth year, in the 
earlier years of acquaintance used to address him 
as "Benjamin." 

After a few other questions and answers it was 
asked, What were your first sensations in your 
new life ? 

A. — Was rather surprised. This is wonderful — 
and very pleasant. 

The characteristic thing in this communication 
is this : It was all written in imitation of 
printed letters, in which I am not an adept ; and it 
was not until after a little thought that the purport 
of this as a test of personality occurred to me. 
Some years before his transition from earth Mr. 
Seaver, in saving a little child from danger in a 
run-away accident, hurt his right hand so that it 
was more or less painful ever after to write with 
that hand. So though he occasionally wrote 
letters to his friends, he grew into the habit, being 
a practical printer as well as editor, of setting up 
his editorials in type to save the pain of writing 



THE EXPLANATION. 



71 



them with his maimed hand. Now I would never 
have thought of his maimed hand but for this 
incident of the printed answers, which struck me 
as being- an odd freak. 



AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



CHAPTER IV. 

CONDITIONS AND SENSE LIMITATIONS. 

The many who know of automatic writing and 
other forms of spirit communication only by 
hearsay or what has been published as from an 
unseen source, often get very wrong ideas into 
their heads as to the power possessed by so-called 
mediums. Apparently they think that communi- 
cation once established, the medium has only there- 
after to turn on the faucet whenever and where- 
ever such medium chooses to do so, and drain from 
the spirit world reservoir an immediate and 
unlimited supply of information in regard to any 
subject, from the most trivial and useless personal 
matter to the greatest and most sublime secrets of 
the Universe. This erroneous notion of unthink- 
ing minds is one of the great drawbacks to popular 
belief in the truth of spirit communication — a 
drawback which has its origin in ignorance. 

In truth while there are many not yet under- 
stood difficulties in the way of free communication, 
two of the chief hindrances are over and over 
again referred to by our correspondents on the 
other side, as every true medium is aware, and 
these are the lack of proper "conditions" or the 
understanding of what they are, on one side or the 
other, and the limitation of our sense perceptions 
in regard to differently conditioned modes of 
being. So I purpose in this chapter to present a 



SENSE LIMITATIONS. 73 

few of the thoughts given through automatic 
writing in regard to these two hindrances. 

From the first coherent communications received 
from this source there has been frequent reference 
to conditions that they were "not right," that they 
were ' 'better than usual, " etc. As I had little knowl- 
edge of Spiritualism when I began my investiga- 
tions these phrases with many others, were all 
new to me. 

On one of the evenings that I sat down to write 
Mr. U. was busy with his .work at the opposite 
side of the table. Complaint was made that they 
would prefer "a warmer greeting from B. F. U.' , 
I remarked that I was ready and willing to com- 
municate. "Your individual" — so much was writ- 
ten, then ensued a long stop. 

Q. — Why not go on? 

A. — We are not strong enough to do with your 
aid alone. 
Q-— Why? 
A. — Blended powers are of greatest use to us. 

On another occasion when he was occupied and I 
did not wish to interrupt him, was written : 

We wish B. F. U. would give us his attention — 
don't mean to annoy, but we have our conditions 
and want his willing attention. 

When there arose a little difference of opinion 
between Mr. U. and myself as to the meaning of 
certain phrases written, I emphasized my own 
views with some force. When I took my pen 
again, expecting something entirely different, in 
answer to a question having no reference to our 



74 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

dispute — which had quickly passed out of ray 
mind — I got instead of the expected answer, this : 

Want you two to be in sweet accord, otherwise 
we cannot give you the best and highest which 
waits for such as you when in more harmony. 

Now the question is did my subconscious self 
thus gently rebuke me when my conscious self had 
not the least thought of having been in the wrong? 
Once when Mr. U. rather sharply criticised some 
statements made, the same tone of gentle reminder 
was used thus : 

Brother, your intention is all right, but your 
antagonistic attitude challenges disputation. Your 
spirit is not one of lovingness, and Love is the 
essence of Being. 

Now, though my hand wrote thus, I personally 
had not thought that Mr. U. had shown much 
antagonism in his criticism. 

Very frequently when I asked a question no 
direct reply to me would be given, but an intima- 
tion made that if Mr. U. would ask, the answer 
would be forthcoming. This vexed me sometimes 
and I asked why less attention was paid to my 
questions than to his. The reply was : 

We are as good friends to you as to your hus- 
band, but we are obliged to go along in the way 
we are going, because we cannot break the laws 
which govern intercourse between your phase of 
existence and ours. 

Harmony of minds was frequently intimated to 
be an indispensable condition in such sentences as 
these : 



SENSE LIMITATIONS. 75 

Earthly jars are arrows sent against higher 
spiritual aspirations. Sympathies and antipathies 
are stronger here than with you, for here we 
separate the wheat from the chaff. Changed con- 
ditions make new relations. 

When asked how they knew when they could 
best reach us, the reply was, 

Placed as we are, we wait with spiritual vision 
your hours of leisure when we can come into 
rapport with you. 

Once when Mr. U. was very tired and said he 
could not in consequence give attention to the 
writing, the pen immediately wrote : 

Your condition of exhaustion is most unfavor- 
able, and the note of dissent makes rapport still 
harder. 

He then remarked that he was not unwilling to 
give time when he had it to spare, and was not 
too tired. On which this very polite reply was 
penned : 

Thanks, dear partner, for the suave explanation 
— zealous as we are, we are often perforce of some 
adverse environment obliged to delay communica- 
tion with you. 

When some message was given in regard to 
whose meaning we were in doubt, they wrote : 

Lessons given from our side cannot be easily 
understood when the perfect conditions of medium- 
ship are not determined on your side, or ours. 

We discussed once the propriety of asking a 
mediumistic acquaintance to sit with us and see 
what the result might be, asking the question of 
our unseen friends : 



76 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — Wait. It is always best to test even 
mediumistic persons since their control and yours 
may be on very different planes, and belong to 
altogether different spheres. You do not on your 
plane wish to take into your confidence every one 
who professes to think and believe as they think 
you do. 

I think there is a very excellent thought in the 
wording, -'Every one who professes to think 
and believe as they think you do,'" a thought which 
struck me with its truth, as I read what was 
certainly not in my own mind. 

When we asked certain questions regarding 
their mode of life, etc., and only vague and evasive 
answers were given I said I thought it rather 
cowardly on their part to avoid giving us straight- 
forward answers — to which this reply was made : 

Cowardly or not, we have got to obey conditions 
the same as you have. 

And again, 

Seals are set as to some of your questions. 
Conditions are so different you could not under- 
stand straightforward answers to the questions 
just asked. 

Another time was written, 

Dear ones you are in the right path but you 
must understand what obstacles are in the way 
because of the limitations of your environment. 

At the beginning of these communications when 
many different individualities with widely varying 
chirography, seemed after a fashion to contend for 
the guiding of my pen, not infrequently statements 
were written which we suspected, and in two or 



SENSE LIMITATIONS. 77 

three instances found to be untrue ; and disliking 
this I asked, 

Why are falsehoods told us when you know that 
we here are seeking to know the truth in regard 
to you and your spheres ? 

A. — Can you always give pleasing explanations 
of the wrong things which you are doing on your 
plane? Do you suppose we jump from imperfec- 
tion to perfection by the accident of change from 
one sphere to another? You, who profess and 
wish to be sensible, should take into account the 
inherent weakness sure to show itself on this plane 
which is not the plane of perfection, but a phase of 
Being. 

To a somewhat like question the answer was : 

A. — Mankind are so much in the dark and we, 
while willing and anxious to enlighten you, are so 
hampered by our conditions, that we are obliged to 
seem, obscure and mendacious when really we are 
not. 

When we asked some questions in regard to 
future states of existence : 

A. — You ask questions which are not to be 
answered to those on your plane, wait — primary 
scholars cannot expect to understand the questions 
asked of graduates. 

Q. — We should think you would be as anxious 
to answer the questions which so perplex us here, 
as we are to learn the things of which we are now 
ignorant? 

A. — Yes, we are as anxious to reply openly to 
your queries, as you are to have us do so. But 
there are laws on all planes of being which must be 
observed, and we are still under bondage to law. 

Q. — Do you mean that you are forbidden to give 
answers to questions on certain subjects, when we 
ask such? 



78 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — Bondage to sensual perceptions makes it 
difficult to explain matters which are simple truths 
to us. But your anxiety to learn the truth makes 
us desirous to teach you so far as the difference 
of conditions between your plane and ours will 
allow. 

Q. — Will it be of service to persist in our search 
for future light on these subjects ? 

A. — Those who have advanced as far as you 
have advanced will grow in esoteric knowledge in 
spite of hard conditions. 

At various times statements akin to the following 
were made : 

Physical exhaustion deters spirit communion. 
Your physical, but oftener your spiritual state 
works against true rapport. 

Sour-minded spirits have hindered free commu- 
nication. 

We are in our sphere as limited as you in yours, 
but we are a step beyond man's position. 

When it was asked why certain physical mani- 
festations said to be common did not occur in my 
investigations, this was given : 

A. — You do not yet understand that beyond your 
sphere are many planes, and from these planes 
come words and works to those on earth who are 
educated by environments and conditions to under- 
stand the plane from which communications are 
given. 

Q. — Will the influence exercised in this way of 
communication tend to affect us injuriously? 

A. — No. Perhaps it may for the hour cause a 
state of nervousness, but on the whole it is of 
physical benefit. 

Q. — What is one of the principal right conditions 
for communication ? 



SENSE LIMITATIONS. 79 

A.— Clan conditions — clan means those in the 
same trend of intellectual development — conditions 
are as mysterious to us as to you ; we have to learn 
by experiments as you do. We have found that 
where we can get in rapport with a soul in sym- 
pathy with truth we can best express ourselves. 

That a great deal of their work in trying to get 
into communication was mainly experimental, the 
earlier pages of the writing obtained through my 
hand gave evidence in the many unfinished and 
fragmentary messages, or attemps at such. My 
own wish to have them written out complete 
availed nothing. I give an instance ; after a 
coherent communication of some sort was finished, 
my pen wrote : 

Clever and clear-headed man wants— ask woman 
— Wana — Wana was born— he was as you are — 
man wise (a long pause) — can't — gone. 

Q.— Now why can't he write clearly what he 
wishes to tell us, if as you say he is clever and 
clear-headed ? 

A. — Clear-headed, but cannot make will work — 
Wana is one of the true — 

A scrawl here followed and no more coherent 
writing, spite of all invitation to finish. 

Another time the writing was interrupted and 
when I asked why, the answer was given : "Woman 
all around." "Who is the woman ?" I questioned. 
"Roman type of woman here tonight." "What 
is her name?" "Fulvia." I tried to question 
"Fulvia," but the writing went off into incoherent 
scrawls, then suddenly was written : 
Cometh here a warrior bold, 
Charlemagne of times of old, 
Slave of times when class was king. 
King of men in everything. 



80 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

This verse was followed by the words, ' ' Roman 
type of woman — strong to do and dare." 

Now who can explain such mixed writing when 
I was personally desirous of replies to definite 
questions which I had in mind, and was never con- 
sciously interested in any woman in history named 
Fulvia. 

After making an engagement for a sitting at a 
future time of their own choosing, this was 
written : 

Save your power of spiritual friendliness for 
the occasion and we will give powerful tests. 

Q. — How can we save power? 

A. — By some previous care of temper — Let not 
emotion of any sort control your spirit. Be 
guided by our higher desires and aspirations, let 
us for once fully control. 

Q. — Why do you demand this? We do not 
intend to subjugate our own individuality to any 
power, spirit or other. 

A. — Spiritual longing, you should understand, 
sometimes takes the form of command. Forgive, 
if in our great interest we forget that you too, are 
spirits also, though undeveloped. 

Even recently the opening sentence written at a 
sitting was, "Come willingly to us, or we cannot 
give you communications." 

Q. — What is the reason for your coming to- 
night ? 
A. — Good power, and good friends. 

Once we asked, 

When those on our plane pass from earth, what 
are the most favorable conditions by which they 
may be enabled to communicate with us ? 

A. — Conditions are here determined by so many 



SENSE LIMITATIONS. 81 

laws which to you are unintelligible that we are 
unable to answer your query. 

Q. — Could, you give us a symbolic hint ? 

A. — Change of environments are as sure to 
change relations here, as with you. 

Akin to these remarks as to "conditions" have 
been the frequent statements as to the limitations 
of sense perceptions which render it so difficult for 
our spirit friends to make us understand spirit 
life and its possibilities. From many such com- 
plaints I offer the following samples in reply to our 
insistence upon definite information. 

Q. — Can you describe something of your sphere'? 

A. — Words, as you know, are inadequate to pre- 
sent clearly pictures of the things most familiar to 
sense perceptions. How then can we paragraph 
to your limited knowledge wonders beyond our 
power to describe or comprehend? 

Q. — Can you give a hint as to what the most 
marked differences between what your ideas were 
while here as to spirit existence and the reality as 
you now know it? 

A. — Void are words bounded by earthly mean- 
ings to answer your query. Sense perceptions are 
on so much lower a plane of spirituality that no 
words within your knowledge could convey definite 
ideas of spirit existence. 

When we complained that we could not under- 
stand a certain statement given, the reply was 
"Verities don't depend on atomistic understand- 
ing." "Atoms of Being" is a phrase often used by 
these writers to indicate human beings. 

Q. — Can you not give some description of life 
where you are? 



82 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — Spirit- world means more than your thought 
can reach. Those studying the A B C of life can- 
not expect to understand the X of algebra. 

Q. — Are you as happy in your present state as 
when on our plane? 

A. — Told as a wonderful dream of poet or seer I 
should have thought this phase of existence a 
phantasm too beautiful for realization, but living 
this new, sweet, helpful life, I am constantly 
wondering if I am a real part of this sphere. 

Q. — Can you give us an idea as to the locality of 
your sphere? 

A. — There are no words in your language which 
we here can make useful. Verbal modes of 
expresssion are inadequate to express that of 
which there is no equivalent on your plane. 

Q. — Why are so many vague answers given to 
our questions? 

A. — Soul forces are so unlike what you on your 
merely physical plane can imagine that we must 
remain under ban, and answer 

Again, 

You will find when you come to our sphere that 
human reason is so far limited that it is far from 
infallible — that many links apparent here are miss- 
ing from your patched chain. 

Q. — Why not give more definite answers? 

A. — X means the unknown quantity. We here 
have our X's which we cannot explain to you in 
your present environment. Oh these demands for 
the explicit and statistical ! they are all out of our 
sphere. * * * Z and X explain much in mathe- 
matics, but suppose you explain Z and X? 

Again, 

Ah, how foolish to philosophize on questions of 
future life when your environments are so full of 
merely physical masters — Bounds of Physical can- 
not word Spiritual. 



SENSE LIMITATIONS. S3 

Mind and Matter are but names which express 
man's ignorance of wonders unknown to his con- 
dition and needs. 

Once when several messages had been begun but 
left unfinished, we remarked playfully that we 
guessed our friends on the other side must be a 
little insane that evening. Then was written : 

Rational as you are, but how are we to say to 
you so you can understand — things — matters — out- 
side — beyond your bounds of sense perceptions? 
Can you indicate a code of signals which will 
interpret what you are not receptive of? 

Again when we found fault with their vague 
replies, was written : Wonder what you will 
accomplish when you get over here and under- 
stand all the obstacles in the way? 

Q. — Can you give us any clear idea of your new 
condition? 

A. — Pharos says your query cannot be answered 
on your plane. More spiritual insight, a broader 
view of Being, and a change of environment are 
necessary to such knowledge. Sometime you will 
understand. 

We said of some guarded reply to a philosophical 
question that it was not a satisfactory answer, to 
which was returned — 

Years of inquiry make us wary of answering off- 
hand the careful queries of earnest thinkers like 
you. One step in advance of you, we begin to 
understand the limitations of planes, and don't 
venture to ask high grade questions of neophites. 

Once when Mr. U. found fault with one of our 
unseen communicants for indirectness, this was 
written, 



84 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Charitable as B. F. U. is to his needy fellow- 
beings, his charity does not seem to extend so 
strongly to those of his own ilk who have passed 
on to a higher phase of being. We wish he would 
think of us as he would — as he does — of those on 
his own plane who do the best they know how. 

B. F. U. — Yes, but the fact that you are on a 
higher plane causes me to expect more direct 
answers from you than from our more fallible 
friends on the earth plane ? 

A. — Fallible is the word. Thou shalt better 
understand the fallibility of spiritual Being on its 
onward way to development when you have 
reached our round of Being's ladder. Infallibility 
belongs only to the higher evolution of Spirit. 
When ye shall come into true spiritual harmony 
with our sphere many of your earnest queries will 
be most easily answered, but your environments 
make our answers now enigmatical. 

So all through these communications the fact of 
our sense limitation is constantly shown to stand 
in the way of much desired knowledge. Even in 
the rythmic answers the same thing is repeated, 
as for instance in the following : 

Harmonious are our souls with yours 

Dear earthly pupils. Life endures 

Through many spheres where earthly shows 

Are shown to be but shams of those 

Most truly proved to be the real 

Within the spheres you call ideal, 

But which are proved by Death's ordeal 

To be of true life sign and seal. 

To Sara and to Bhama prove 

We thus that soul and life are love, 

And when you reach our high estate 

We may more clearly and more straight 

Make you know this.— Till then we wait. 

I have given here their own explanations as to 
these hindrances to definite statements, as well as 



SENSE LIMITATIONS. 85 

to command of communication at will of the 
mediums on either side of the veil. Sometimes, it 
must be remembered, our earthly telephones get 
out of order too, if conditions are not right. I 
have made this explanation before offering select- 
ions from the mass of writings containing such 
descriptions or hints of the spirit world as they 
have been able to give in spite of these limitations. 
In addition to such limitations it is often 
intimated that there are laws in spheres beyond 
this, forbidding information on certain points in 
regard to which as they quaintly phrase it ' ' Bars 
are set." Once when we inquired as to the further 
progress of spirits in higher spheres of spiritual 
evolution the reply was : 

Souls of those born of our spiritual travail — Can 
you not understand how deep our interest in you 
may be, though we are debarred by law beyond 
your ken of giving you hints of your kinship to 
higher phases of life ! 

Again one wrote as follows, addressing Mr. U. 
in answer to some question : 

Esteemed sir ; good souls are now oh so anxious 
to get into communication with your plane, but the 
laws of spirit existence are hard to break through. 

Q. — Can you not in accordance with spiritual 
law yet communicate with us ? 

This was written with apparent difficulty by one 
new to controlling the hand : 

A. — No mortal can understand the laws govern- 
ing our plane, yet we know communication is 
possible. Long ago this was demonstrated, but 
the sure law is not yet given to us. We work 
mainly in the dark. 



86 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

It must be remembered also that different com- 
munications were received purporting to come 
from differing spheres of intelligence, and the 
above was apparently from someone not very 
familiar with the different methods of communica- 
tion between his sphere and ours. 



SPIRIT AND EARTH LIFE. 87 



CHAPTER V. 

ANALOGIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPIRIT 
LIFE AND EARTH LIFE. 

Naturally our curiosity was awakened by reason 
of this source of information in regard to the mode 
of existence in the spheres said to be the homes of 
our communicants, and frequently we asked ques- 
tions on various points in this line of inquiry. In 
this chapter I shall give some of the answers 
received. The terms "sphere," "plane," "phase 
of being," "round of being's ladder," etc., were 
most frequently used to indicate both the spirit's 
place of existence and ours. 

As to location of Spirit- world, such answers as 
the following could only be obtained : 

Space has no real dimensions. Your sense 
perceptions bounded by your relations to so-called 
matter, cause you to make arbitrary lines which 
have no real existence, but on your plane it is the 
nearest you can come to the reality of things. 
When you step over within our lines you thinkers 
will wonder at your blindness, but you are not to 
blame. You long for truth — that is the main 
thing. 

When we asked for information regarding certain 
friends who had passed over, we were frequently 
given evasive answers and once when this occurred 
I said : 

Q. — Do tell us something definite, or explain 
why you cannot do so ! 



88 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — Soul states depend on spiritual laws which 
your material environments do not and cannot 
explain. You ask us to give you in a word expla- 
nations far beyond your powers of comprehension 
and beyond our stage of expression to give. 

Q. — Do you mean by what you have just written, 
to say that you know nothing about the present 
state of our friend ? 

A. — There are millions of spirits who occupy 
many varying planes. Those who are new comers 
are not always known to spiritual planes on which 
their thought, sympathies, longings, and aims 
have no place. Your friend, is not on our spirit 
plane — bounded are sense-perceptions as to our 
possibilities. 

Q. — Is spirit-life as you now understand it, an 
improvement on earth-life? 

A. — Ephemeral phases of life such as you are 
now undergoing are never satisfactory. 

Q.— Why? 

A. — Because as undeveloped beings you cannot 
understand the processes of spirit evolution, and 
are constantly mistaking a phase for the whole of 
being. 

Q. — Don't spirits reflect the medium's own ideas? 

A. — Spirits only act through those in sympathy 
with their own ideals, and the medium reflects the 
feelings of the spirit — the spirit does not reflect 
the medium's thought except so far as both are in 
unison . 

Q. — Do spirits influence their mediums to think 
and believe as the controls do? 

A. — Those on the plane from which comes your 
connecting spiritual force have no influence — 
desire none — upon their mediums. Spirit and 
medium are spiritually sympathetic before com- 
munication can be established. Souls here are 
always in sympathetic accord with all who are in 



SPIRIT AND EARTH LIFE. 89 

sympathy with our planes whatever the difference 
between our views on subjects. 

Q. — How many upward steps — comparatively — 
must we on our plane take before we progress far 
enough in knowledge to clearly comprehend what 
you have just stated? 

A. — Upward steps depend on souls. Spirit 
progress is possible in all planes. But of course, 
with change of form and planes the progress, 
becomes more and more easy; but the desire to 
grow in knowledge and lovingness is not hampered 
on any plane. 

Though I personally had no preconceived ideas 
in relation to higher or lower spheres of existence, 
yet not infrequently hints of such divisions among 
spirits were given as when we asked the question 
given below : 

Q. — Will you tell us what is the normal craving 
of spiritual life ? 

A. — We teach that spiritual life has many differ- 
entiated cravings. 

Q. — Will you state some of these in their graded 
order ? 

A. — Zones of spirit life overlap and intertwine 
often. 

Q. — Take the case of an unthinking and not 
highly moral or intellectual soul who yet accepts 
as true the common orthodox belief which he only 
dimly understands. Can you tell us what the aims 
of such an one would be when reaching the next 
phase of life's experience ? 

A. — Such souls are rarely found within our 
sphere. 

Q. — But don't you know what their first experi- 
ence is ? 

A. — Thou say st rightly — we know. 

Q. — Do you then object to answer ? 



90 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — There are certain facts of spiritual existence 
which B. will try to hint. 

Q. — Are those facts unpleasant ones ? 

A. — There is a sphere in spirit life allotted to 
those who leave the earthly plane in spiritual 
ignorance, which is not pleasing to dwell upon, 
yet which is absolutely necessary to spiritual soul 
growth, and within that plane those leaving your 
sphere greet all those of like minds. 

Sometimes there was difficulty in getting 
messages, i. e., many were begun but were not 
finished. Apparently new-comers interfered in 
the writing. When we asked for the explanation 
of this, the following replies were received : 

A. — Spirits present are of such grades that 
Pharos would rather not say why no questions will 
be answ T ered. 

B. F. U. — Can you not state more clearly why 
the questions asked cannot be answered ? 

A. — Souls of those who fancied themselves on 
Bhama's plane because of his generosity, are now 
here with all sorts of hindrances to true spirit 
union. 

Q. — Can we help overcome those hindrances, 
and how ? 

A. — Share w r ith these poverty-stricken spirits, 
thoughts of true spiritual soul communion, and 
raise them by force of sympathy toward all that 
they are able to comprehend. In course of time 
such sense-bound souls will attain a higher 
standard of morals, and leaving sense behind, will 
become what all germs of spiritual growth should 
be. 

Q. — Is it true then that evil and good spirits are 
both as active in your spheres as in ours '? 

A. — Spirit spheres are far more defined than 
with you. So we who are on the higher planes 



SPIRIT AND EARTH LIFE. 91 

always guard so far as we can our proteges against 
the shallow souls of lower planes. 

Once we asked in relation to children's educa- 
tion — 

Q. — Will you tell us something in regard to the 
life of children on your plane ? 

A. — Children in spirit life are more happily 
environed than in earth life. Children are free 
from the trammels of selfishness and dogmatic 
limitation, so they here grow up freely in one of 
the lower spheres where are those best fitted to 
help their advance by reason of lovingness. 

Q. — Have you schools there, something like 
ours ? 

A. — Spiritual schools are here more perfectly 
adapted to the harmonious development of souls 
than on your plane. 

Q. — Shall those who have inherited evil appe- 
tites, passions, or proclivities which they spiritually 
abhor, but have not strength of will to wholly 
overcome here, be obliged to do penance for such 
weaknesses when they come over to your side, or 
will such weaknesses be dropped with the physical 
form ? 

A. — Appetites belong to the planes where they 
emanate. If those appetites and proclivities are 
detested and protested against by those who 
inherit them, they may be forgotten and obliterated 
in new environments. 

Q. — Does evolution continue on your plane ? 

A. — Evolution is the Law of Life. Beginnings 
are often really endings of one phase of existence. 
You know so little ! There is much which as yet 
is hard for you to understand ; Wait — Search- 
Study. 

Q. — What becomes of the millions of beings who 
have lived on and passed away from this earth? 

A. — We here are not able to answer truly your 



92 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

searching question. Remember we are on a plane 
near to yours, and one by no means near soul- 
knowledge. What you ask we wonder over also. 
Brother, when you come to our plane we will be 
glad of your help. 

Q — Are there multitudes on your plane now 
discarnate beings, who once lived in the flesh on 
our earth? 

A.— There are thousands of planes of spirit life. 
On each of these exist those from your sphere who 
have advanced to those spheres where sympathetic 
comradeship would be appreciated. 

Q. — Are there modes of communication between 
these different spheres? 

A. — Communication depends upon soul -sympa- 
thies. 

Q. — Is there communication between all the 
spheres? 

A. — There are soul sympathies between some of 
these spheres. There rolls a vast ocean of dis- 
tance between others. 

Another time was written: 

We are greatly in advance of your plane, yet 
beyond our sphere lies Spiritual potencies far 
above our limit. 

At different times we asked various questions 
pertaining to the new life and among them the 
following. 

Q. — From your standpoint, do you consider death 
the end of conscious existence? 

A. — Death, we know only as a phrase used to 
indicate change of environment. 

Q. — Is death expected on your plane, as on ours, 
or do you all understand that the next change is 
progress? 



SPIRIT AND EARTH LIFE. 98 

A. — Slow even are those on our plane to under- 
stand the law of unending evolution. 

Q. — When one enters into your sphere — when 
we are called dead — is there at first a period of 
unconsciousness ; or is there an unbroken con- 
sciousness, a remembrance of what has transpired? 

A. — When what you call death occurs — which is 
really a new birth — unconsciousness is the stage 
of transition ; but, as soon as the new-born spirit 
is found strong enough to understand the very 
natural change which has taken place — a change 
which, if he or she has been an observer of the 
thousands of metamorphoses occuring in earth life 
with lower forms, will seem the most natural 
possible in evolution — then the knowledge of such 
change dawns upon the sense-perceptions, and all 
becomes clear. 

When writing purporting to come from one 
recently passed over was given and we asked how 
he knew of us, this was the reply : 

A. — States of consciousness here are so different 
from what you know, that I may not explain to 
you how I knew as soon as I gained conscious 
existence that you two could commmunicate with 
me. 

Almost invariably when one recently deceased 
claimed to be communicating, there was mention 
made of the transition period being one of uncon- 
sciousness and of consequent weakness and inabil- 
ity to think clearly, " Pharos " the control, acting 
as amanuensis. Once, when I deplored the physi- 
cal pangs consequent upon the separation of the 
spirit from the body, came the answer, 

' Strange may seem soul-life to all 
Whose knowledge-bounds within the wall 
Of sense are held by laws, which pain, 
Born of love, shall burst again : ' 



94 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

The foregoing is a reply which may well be pond- 
ered over, for it is full of comforting assurance. 

Q. — How long in our time is it before a spirit 
passed from our plane to yours comes to conscious- 
ness ? 

A. — When born into Spirit-life the period of 
what is akin to mind growth on your plane varies 
according to previous conditions of heredity as 
with children — so we cannot predict. 

Q. — Do you in your sphere require any sort of 
food or nourishment to supply waste of force, as 
we require for the upbuilding of our bodies ? 

A. — Spirit comes not by outward accretion, but 
proceeds to develop from within. 

Q. — Can you make that answer more clear to our 
perception ? 

A. — Show you that each process of evolution 
whether spiritual or physical depends upon the 
germinating power within it. 

Q. — Can you indicate from whence comes that 
germinating power. 

A. — Sense knowledge is so undeveloped so far as 
spiritual workings are given in your sphere, that 
no definite answer can be given, but when you 
understand all the forces which are at work from 
the formation of an acorn to an oak, we will then 
clearly explain the evolutionary processes of spirit 
arising from your sense plane. 

Q. — Do you in your spheres have one language, 
or what corresponds therewith, or many as we 
here have ? 

A. — Spiritual language does not correspond with 
your vague ideas, but we will try to give you sym- 
bolically an idea of language as we know it. Spirit 
language means only Thought, a word coined by 
man to express something inexpressible to those 
on your static knowledge ; so all languages are but 
symbolic parts of spirit speech, and virtually we 



SPIRIT AND EARTH LIFE. 95 

have but one language, which includes all which 
you have differentiated. Your languages are 
dialects only. 

Q. — Do you have habitations distinct and sep- 
arate from others — like our homes here? 

A. — What are your homes — give us some idea of 
what you mean. 

Q. — Home to us means the private refuge of 
congenial minds. 

A. — Thou say est well — then do we spirits more 
than you have real homes. 

Q. — Explain more fully what you mean. 

A. — Spiritual soul relationship goes deeper and 
is pointedly superior to mere blood relationship as 
ye shall understand when your sense conditions 
are of no further use. 

Q, — Do you have any need of what we call 
apparel — clothes? 

A. — Choose ye what apparel shall be yours. 
Thou shouldst understand that in the spirit-world 
clothing typifies the state of those who choose 
their raiment. Our friend who gave the world 
our thought in Sartor Resartus spoke better than 
he knew in saying clothes signify humanity. 

Q. — Can you tell us what your methods of loco- 
motion are? 

A. — Travel with us depends on the need or 
desire. 

Q. — Then you do go from place to place? 

A. — Oh, yes, and with more rapidity than is 
possible on your planet. 

Q. — What can you tell us as to the locality of 
your sphere? 

A. — There are no words in your language which 
we can make useful. Verbal words of expression 
are inadequate to express that of which there is no 
equivalent on your plane. 

Q. — Do you have your hours of sleep there? 

A. — Sleep, as you understand it, is unknown to us. 



96 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — Have you greater opportunities there for 
study and learning than when here? 

A. — Knowledge here is on an altogether differ- 
ent basis than with you, but we have delightful 
opportunities and wealth of spiritual roadway. 

Q. — Do you on your plane have anything anal- 
ogous to our idea of individual ownership of prop- 
erty, or is not your plane rather on the line of 
ownership of properties — qualities? 

A. — Thou art right. There is on soul planes no 
cognition of selfish ownership of anything spiritual; 
spirits are of right owners of all good, but tem- 
poral earthly goods are here accounted buzzards' 
prey. 

Q. — What is the personal possession of one 
individual spirit in distinction from the possessions 
of other spirits? 

A. — Spiritual possessions are always marked by 
boundless desire to make those possessions the 
common property of all. 

Q. — What then is the greatest good or possession 
of spirit life? 

A. — Shall we now repeat what so often thou 
hast been told? 

Q. — If necessary, yes. 

A. — Self must be submerged. Jesus said: "Do 
unto others as thou would'st be done by." 

Q. — On your plane does any one own what we 
call personal property? 

A. — None of tradesman sort. 

Q. — What marks individual belongings on your 
side? 

A. — Craving personal belongings is character- 
istic of your earthly experience. 

Q. — Do all on leaving this plane lose all desire 
for individual property? 

A. — Thou should'st ask — Are all who leave your 
phase of existence endowed with sufficient knowl- 
edge of spiritual brotherhood to commence with 



SPIRIT AND EARTH LIFE. 97 

those spirits who are far in advance of untried 
souls, to overcome selfish — that is earthly — greed? 

As we considered this sufficient answer we let it 
go at that. To an intimation of their loving inter- 
est in mankind we rejoined: 

Q. — -Then you have a desire to communicate with 
those still in the body? 

A. — Salvation of troubled souls gives us power 
to benefit, and that is our wealth. 

Q. — Are the unsatisfied longings of this life 
satisfied on your plane? 

A. — Yes. Wants are here generally satisfied. 

Q. — On your plane do you still continue to take 
interest in the sciences which you studied while in 
earth form, or does your change of state change 
the trend of your investigations? 

A. — Science with us, as with you, widens our 
knowledge of natural laws. When you join our 
scientific society here you will change your esti- 
mate of some people. 

Q. — Do you mean that your science deals more 
with character than with things ? 

A. — Your estimate of scientific knowledge is 
based upon your earthly sense relations ; you know 
what Jesus said, "A little child shall lead them." 

Q. — Do you have there your seasons of rest, 
equivalent to our sleep? 

A. — Our ideas of rest are not like unto yours. 
When we rest we creep down to your level. 

Q. — Can you explain sleep as we know it? 

A. — Sleep is the silence of thought, the garner- 
ing of life's harvest. Sleep is not death's twin, 
but willingness converted into modes of rest. 

Q. — What are dreams ? 

A. — Dreams are the percipients of life's experi- 
ences — shams of being. 

Q. — What is character? 



98 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A, — Energies of mind. Mean only that one 
determines to be the best his ideal will allow. 
' Q. — Are the different religious beliefs held by- 
men on our plane carried on to your sphere and 
believed in, after their death ? 

A. — Clear thinking is not at once attained by 
even the fairest minded who experience the change 
you call death; and with new meanings attached to 
old ideas the sects still persist for one or more 
changes of planes. 

Q. — Are all planets phases of the life of this 
earth? 

A. — Planets are worlds such as this in many 
cases, but most frequently on a far different mode 
of existence with different sense relations. 

Q. — Do beings on different planets have language 
akin to ours ? 

A. — No, for language, environments, evolution- 
ary developments and sympathies are in all worlds 
different. 

Q. — Do you in your sphere ever see or hold 
communication with beings belonging to other 
planets than this earth ? 

A. — Your ideas as to planets are so tinged and 
guaged by your circumscribed sense perceptions 
that you would regard what we know of other 
conditions as mere nonsense. 

Q. — But can you not at least tell us whether the 
inhabitants of any planet are like us in form or 
intellectual conditions ? 

A. — Shadowy beings you would consider the 
sweet personalities who come from those planets' 
with which our plane has mortal communication ; 
but we know they are real beings, albeit on a far 
different basis, from yours and ours. Changed 
conditions make it impossible to state, or to clearly 
know, whether they are below or above us in 
intelligence. 

Q. — Do spirits from different planets visit earth ? 



SPIRIT AND EARTH LIFE. 99 

A. — Some do. Change the subject. There are 
certain limits to which spirits on your plane are 
bounded because it is thought best that men creep 
before walking. 

Q. — Does cremation of the body after death 
interfere with spiritual conditions ? Is earth 
burial preferable from your point of veiw ? 

A. — Cremation of the body doubtlessly is the 
most esthetic mode of disposing of the material 
habitation of spirit, and there is no partaking of 
body with spirit after dissolution. None at all, no 
more than when we leave one dwelling for 
another. 

Q. — Then would you advise cremation in prefer- 
ence to burial ? 

A. — The mode of dissolution matters little. The 
freed spirit cares not whether its old shell decays 
by degrees, or instantaneously. 

Q. — Does the form of man change with change 
of planes ? 

A. — Cannot you understand that your ideas of 
form are limited by your sense perceptions, and 
you could not understand the correct answer to 
your question ! 

Q. — Do class distinctions exist on your plane? 

A. — Classes here are high or low according to 
the strength of moral worth, and also superior 
lovingness of all. Your companionship with 
mortals is based on their congeniality in some way 
with your moral and intellectual nature. So also 
with your companionship with souls on our plane. 

Q. — Are the standards of merit on your plane 
identical with or similar to ours here ? 

A. — Souls are classed here according to their 
withstanding of the strongest temptations to which 
they are subjected on your plane. There are those 
here guilty of great crimes according to earthly 
codes who yet take precedence of some who had 
no temptation to sin. 



100 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — Do family names and affinities persist? 

A. — -Years gone, by this question was seriously 
discussed among us and this conclusion was 
reached : that names with you were but the signs 
of tribal relations between those of mere blood- 
relationship ; here, blood relationship does not 
count, and spirit sympathies come always to be 
classified by new readings. 

Q. — Are members of the same family drawn 
toward their own relations when they come to 
your sphere? 

A. — Conditionally they are, but many times 
family relations are not as: pleasant as some other 
mode of personal magnetism would be. 

Q. — Why is it that we get so few messages from 
our relatives in the Spirit-world in spite of our 
strong desire to do so? 

A. — Bonds of sympathetic being are stronger 
than relationship over here. Many whose silence 
you wonder at were not in accord with you. True 
lines of sympathy are drawn over here. Blood 
relations are often hurtful, but soul relations will 
ever assert themselves and give joy when recog- 
nized. Bonds of spirit are stronger than man's 
paltry blood-relationship. 

Q, — Do husband and wife continue lovers on 
your planes? 

A. — If a man and woman— married, according to 
your ideas — are in true rapport with each other, 
the change called death does not alter their rela- 
tions, but if through misapprehension they are 
mismated, however desirous they may be of higher 
development, their ardent hopes count for naught 
if natural sympathy says no. Sympathies and 
antipathies are stronger here than with you, for 
here we separate the wheat from the chaff ; we 
only care for the spirits who are at one with us. 
Changed conditions make new relations. 

One of the puzzling indefinite answers given in 



SPIRIT AND EARTH LIFE. 101 

regard to a question relating to one not personally 
known to us, was this: 

Thou shouldst ask of thy spirit guide Pharos to 
seek within spiritual brotherhood some select soul 
whose sympathies are all noumenal, the charac- 
teristics of the spirit of whom you wish evidence. 

But when we asked, no reply was given. 

Another time when we asked for information 
desired by an acquaintance, was written, "T — 's 
spirit friends and your spirit friends are not on the 
same plane. Shall not your own sympathetic 
spirit friends be first in relation to you ?" 

Q. — Does every human being continue life on 
higher planes ? 

A. — Shall not all who are abortions die ? 

Q. — Do you mean that some born on this plane 
may spiritually die, from lack of force to persist ? 

A. — Yes — both women and men are born into 
the divine humanity who must necessarily perish 
because they have not sufficient soul strength to 
persist. 

On another occasion I asked a similar question, 
putting it in this form : 

Q. — Do we still endure after the change called 
death ? 

A. — Sensitive souls endure what you call life. 
Spirits on our plane go on striving after blessed 
existence. 

I had used the word "endure" unthinkingly in 
the sense of continuance, and not until the answer 
was written did it occur to my mind that it might 
be understood in the sense of suffering or bearing 
with, as indicated in the reply. 

We put the question at another time thus : 



102 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — Does every human being at death necessarily 
enter into spiritual spheres, or do some fail of 
reaching another stage of existence ? 

A. — Achievement is the test. Children with 
undeveloped intellect, but with inherited possibil- 
ities may develop into noble formation but some- 
times they are abortions. Born with certain 
capacities, they may grow to their high ideal, but 
occasionally they are found to have roots too shal- 
low for perfection and they die as you understand 
death — they cease to persist. 

Q. — Does personality — one's individual selfhood 
persist on your plane ? 

A. — Personality does persist, but not as strongly 
as on earth. Each soul assimilates with its high- 
est ideal and grows toward it, even as on earth you 
aspire to the best you can assimilate." 

And again, 

Q. — Will we, or anyone, individually obtain 
eternal life ? 

A. — Another upward step may shed light on the 
question just asked. As the poet say s : ' 'He knows. 
He knows !" We do not yet. 

Q.— Are all born on earth sure of continued 
existence ? 

A. — Abortions are no more infrequent spiritually 
than physically. Such must die out — cease to 
exist. Punitive methods help to sift such abor- 
tions from reproduction. We don't quite under- 
stand; but we hope much. 

Q. — Is not every spirit on your plane assured of 
continued existence ? 

A. — Continued existence does not necessarily 
mean immortality to all mankind. When the 
change you call death occurs, there is but a step 
taken toward the change which annihilates as well 
as strengthens. 

Q. — Does our personality continue through all 



SPIRIT AND EARTH LIFE. 103 

planes of being or is it sometimes merged into one 
great all ? 

A.— Man's being is not as you fancy, some atom 
by itself but ' 'all are but parts of one stupendous 
whole. " 

Q. — But on your plane does the individual persist 
with its personal loves, hates and idiosyncracies? 

A. — Spirit life is life of the individual brought 
into harmony with those of the same sympathies. 

Q. — With those whose moral nature attracts ? 
whom they love? 

A. — Yes, love is the great principle of man's 
being — Love. 

Q. — Will you tell us if we have any pre-existence 
as conscious individuals, or does our individualism 
begin with our birth into this outer world? 

A. — Placed as germs from a great fountain of 
soul life, your atomistic mortality as ego begins. 

Q. — On your plane do you arrive at certainty in 
regard to immortality ? 

A. — We here are as ignorant as you are as to the 
ultimate of existence. Immortality is still an 
undetermined issue. One life at a time seems as 
pertinent with us as with you. 



104 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



CHAPTER VI. 

EXPERIENCES AFTER DEATH. 

From a large variety of communications purport- 
ing to come from those just passed over to higher 
planes, I have chosen a few which are interesting 
because of their statements of thought or feelings 
after transition. Many others equally interesting 
I may not use because they include personal 
matters which, whether I believe or not, I have no 
right to publish. Even in those here given I do 
not use the correct initials. I give names only in 
special cases as in the message below purporting to 
be from Mr. Barker who was once a widely known 
public lecturer. 

A. — Joseph Barker wants to say a word. 

This name was not in any way in my mind, nor 
in that of Mr. U.'s, when this was written, but as 
Barker was an English lecturer in behalf of what 
was then termed "infidelity," when Mr. U. and I 
were young people, it is not strange that this 
message was given when we asked the above 
question, but it struck me as very odd. He 
changed his views again before his death back to 
the orthodox faith, but whether he ever believed, 
or took any interest in Spiritualism I do not know. 

Q. — Will Mr. Barker state what he wishes to 
say? 
A. — -Only wish to show to Brother Underwood 



EXPERIENCES AFTER DEATH. 105 

that earth-born egotistic knowledge, or seeming 
knowledge, is subject to great somersaults when 
confronted by facts of spiritual existence. 

Q. — Will Joseph Barker please state his own 
individual impression of spirit condition when he 
first entered spirit spheres ? 

A. — My first impression as I awoke was this — 
it seemed to me that I was still in the body, but 
strangely could not make myself seen or heard by 
those who were most near to me. 

Q. — How long was it before you realized spirit 
life, and what most impressed you with the fact of 
change ? 

A. — The presence and astonishing realness of 
those whom I had considered what you call dead, 
and their courageous attention to me in my ignor- 
ance of spiritual conditions. As to how long, 
space and time are merely sense conditions — you 
are so limited ! 

Q. — When you realized the new life how did you 
look upon your former earthly work ? 

A. — Spirit tried to work back and undo the work 
of earthly ignorance, but could not. But have 
learned since that even that ignorant work was a 
necessary part of spiritual education. I was a 
factor in your being brought to the light, in so far 
as I helped you to question and to doubt man-made 
dogmas and creeds which acted as bars to pure 
thought and high purpose. 

Q. — What do you now think the best method of 
spiritual education on earth ? 

A. — Continual questioning of materialistic falla- 
cies, vigorous agitation of spiritual phenomena ; 
enlistment of thinking minds pro and con ; stirring 
up of minds everywhere on spirit lines. 

Q. — What should, in your opinion, be our most 
reasonable attitude toward the existing religious 
systems of to-day ? 

A.; — The attitude of convicted believers in spirit- 



106 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

ual life toward the blind leaders of the blindly 
dogmatic in spiritual matters should be that of the 
Seers to those yet in the dark — as full of loving- 
ness and tenderness as one who sees to those 
bereft of sight, eager to remove the disability but 
patient with their natural mistakes and halting 
steps. Remember as they are, so once were ye, 
and they too shall be ultimately led to the light. 

One evening at the earnest request of a sorrow- 
ing daughter we doubtingly asked if any word 
could be heard from her parent, with this result : 

A. — Spirit called L. P. W. has not been sum- 
moned, but we who write you are told by those who 
are in charge, that his medium is not yet posited. 
Law is supreme on our planes, but as soon as pos- 
sible the loving daughter will hear in unexpected 
ways nearer her than you are. 

Upon my still further insisting upon some 
answer being given her, 1 was asked to sit the fol- 
lowing evening, when I was told the father had 
been found. 

A. — Thou shalt give to the one who grieves 
without reason the answers dictated by the one 
whose advice she wishes. ' 'L. , mourn not, though 
we are so seemingly far apart we are really nearer 
than in earth life. I now understand much in thy 
life of self-sacrifice which escaped my notice while 
with you. Forgive me, dear child, all that I 
omitted to say or do when in the form. Oh, I 
thought and felt much, much more than I dared to 
say — but enough of reminiscences — let us look 
forward to futurity, whose hours of joy your plane 
may not guess." 

Q. — Won't L. P. W., if this is really that per- 
sonality, give some circumstantial statement to 
convince his daughter of his identity, since we are 



EXPERIENCES A.PTER DEATH. 107 

entirely unacquainted with anything in regard to 
either of them? 

A. — Spontaneously with your question comes 
this test to me; Whom will she ask to share the 
trust I left with her? What that trust is she 
knows, and I need not specify. 

Q. — Can you give us an idea of your present 
state? 

A. — Shadow-like seems all I left behind, but 
strongly shows spiritual affiliations against the 
background of hopelessness painted by the relig- 
ious theologians. 

Q. — Can you. give your daughter further personal 
test of your individuality? 

A. — Personally would I say to L. that I am abid- 
ingly with her with a power of lovingness never 
known on your side ; and if she can recall conver- 
sations held with her within a week or so of my 
change, she will understand what that change 
really is. 

Q. — What can you say to lighten her sorrow? 

A. — Joy, joy, joy, on this side, which she will 
experience and understand. How can we who are 
enfranchised explain to those yet imprisoned all 
the joy of freedom! 

It should be understood that the foregoing com- 
munications purported to come from a spirit whom 
we had never met in earth-life ; that the relations 
between him and the living daughter were un- 
known to us, and could not be guessed from our 
brief correspondence with her. That I was person- 
ally averse to asking any word from the other side 
for her — and that the references to self-sacrifice 
on her part — a "trust" which she was asked to 
share — and conversations in regard to spirit life 
just previous to his transition, were all blind 



108 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

words to me, and I transcribed them for the 
daughter with shame-faced doubt. But a letter 
from her solved the riddles of this communication, 
and I was overwhelmed with astonishment at the 
harmony of the hints given with the facts after- 
ward made known to me. 

The following was given as from one we knew 
as a bright, intelligent woman of a scientific turn 
of mind, somewhat agnostic in belief. 

Creation called E. B. is here. 

Q. — Did E. B. before her change expect a future 
life? 

A. — Very few thinkers can definitely state 
exactly what they believe as to spirits, so little is 
known beyond cavil ; but no thinker who has 
studied the pros and cons of the question can 
declare that we do not survive this ephemeral 
phase of being — and I say unto you that I did not 
dream of the spans of beatific soul life possible to 
us when with you, and my soul is overwhelmed 
with wonder and joy. 

The following was given as from one who was 
considered a leading light in a certain kind of 
literature. He was also a Spiritualist. 

Q.— Can or will E. A. P. communicate with us 
tonight ? 

A. — Change wording to this. Will all that was 
best in E. A. P. spiritually materialize in answer 
to Bhama's (Mr. U.'s) question ? 

Q. — We accept the amendment. 

A. — Still I exist, but in a sphere where I had no 
idea I belonged. Earthly standards are all wrong. 
Character and altruistic aims are here of more 
importance than earthly shallow combinations. 
Ah, how foolish to philosophize on questions of 



EXPERIENCES AFTER DEATH. 109 

future life, when your environments are so full of 
merely physical masters. Bounds of physical 
cannot word spiritual. 

Q. — Is there anything you would like to say as a 
message to your friends on this side ? 

A. — Say to those who inquire that E. A. P. still 
lives, but is surprised by the new mind he feels 
within him. Positive evidence is not so clearly 
obtainable as I thought when in earthly form. 

When the name of a fellow- officer in the regiment 
to which Mr. U. belonged, was written, Mr. U. 
asked in regard to his feelings on realizing his new 
life. Answer came, 

A. — Crestfallen — would get on better if I had 
known the truth about this life when we were 
together. 

Q. — Is your situation better or worse than while 
here? 

A. — Better. Soul gaining knowledge of spiritual 
progress. 

Q. — Can you see your signature on the framed 
document I have before me? 

A. — Can't see anything. Am told the questions 
you ask. 

Q. — Can you hear our voices? 

A. — Sound comes from your voice, but strangely, 
I am not able to hear. Pharos acts as interpreter. 

Very often it was written as in this case that 
Pharos who it has been explained to me is the one 
who controls my hand, (though of late " a band " 
is frequently spoken of, of which this spirit is 
leader) acted as interpreter or amanuensis for 
other spirits communicating, but too weak or 
ignorant of the laws governing communication to 
write themselves. One evening the name of a 



110 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

person once prominent in certain circles as a 
lecturer in defense of materialistic opinions, was 
written slowly. We asked if he could communi- 
cate with us. Then in the handwriting, which we 
recognized as that of Pharos, came this : 

Pharos acts as amenuensis for B. R. and may 
not convey clearly his meaning, for he is still in a 
weak and debilitated condition, on account of his 
unexpected change of form. 

Q. — Can he explain to us something of that 
change? 

A. — Won't B. F. U. put into clearer wording his 
question? 

Q. — If this is B. R., we would like to have him 
give expression to his .own present most dominant 
thought. 

A. — Says he would like to give sure evidence of 
continued existence, because when on your plane 
he mistakenly did so much to befog searchers after 
the truth, and he hopes his fellow- worker with the 
light vouchsafed him, will undo the evil unwit- 
tingly and sincerely done by one who had no such 
spiritual insight. 

Q. — Have you met any with whom you were in 
sympathy here ? 

A.— Soul of M. 

Q. — What was his greeting to you? 

A. — He said, B. you and I were both mistaken 
as to the true answer to earth's hard problems — 
the reason for the apparent disparity between 
man and man ; the appearance of partiality on the 
part of the author of life for one portion of 
humanity above another. 

Q. — Has M. changed his views as to the popula- 
tion question? 

A. — Yes. His explanation made from study of 
the conditions here, was that worlds like ours are 



EXPERIENCES AFTER DEATH. Ill 

workshops where character is evolved, and the 
trials and temptations of both upper and lower 
strata of society are essential to true development, 
and only one side of Being's manifold manifesta- 
tions can be shown on your limited but most 
essential plane. 

Q. — Have you met S. H. ? 

A. — Changed conditions make S. H. and your 
respondent on far different planes. 

Q. — Is spirit-life as you now understand it, an 
improvement on earth-life? 

A. — Ephemeral phases of life such as you are 
now undergoing are never satisfactory. 

Q.-Why? 

A. — Because as undeveloped beings you cannot 
understand the processes of spirit evolution, and 
are constantly mistaking a phase for the whole of 
being. 

A rather odd communication was the following, 
which from my superficial knowledge of the 
person supposed to be writing I should never have 
thought of ascribing to him : 

Q. — Who will communicate ? 
A.— Spirit of L. L. 

This was one w T ho had while here been locally 
active in various works of reform such as Anti- 
Slavery, Temperance, etc., but who had only 
recently passed over. 

Q. — If L. L. is here would like to hear from 
him how he likes his new condition ? 

A. — Change of form has brought me into such 
strange changed conditions that I am as one home- 
sick- — glad to get near you two. 

Q. — Why are you homesick ? 

A. — Have not found out the real reason ; things 
are so different from former ideas. 



112 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — But can you not give us one reason for your 
disappointment in your new life ? 

A. — Well, I had felt sure that old fighters like 
myself would be at once recognized, and assigned 
to our place as workers ; but so far as now seen I 
have to offer credentials as positive as a servant. 

Q. — Have you met any of your old fellow- 
workers ? 

A. — Some have come, but I am surprised how 
few. 1 am dissatisfied, but I am assured that I 
will soon be satisfied. 

Q. — What is the chief reason so far as you can 
describe it, of this dissatisfied state of mind ? 

A. — The uppermost thought in what remains of 
the mind once known as L. L. is that of deserved 
humiliation; I did not understand until now how 
many similar minds to mine were evolved through 
the ages. I feel mainly abashed and long to 
return to old sympathetic friends, and yet I am 
aware that this feeling is of low, selfish origin. 

This seemed so real and pathetic that we could 
not refrain from an expression of sympathy and 
encouragement. 

A. — Friends, your words, your desire to help 
are already uplifting and helpful. I shall soon 
grow strong under such tonics. But I think as I 
am so new here that you had better put off com- 
municating with me until I know whereof I affirm. 
Just now I am a homesick spirit and may give 
wrong impressions. I or some friendly spirit will 
impress you when will be the best time to com- 
municate. 

A few weeks later L. L.'s name appeared 
unexpectedly and a message filled with satisfaction 
in his new state which he had learned gradually to 



EXPERIENCES AFTER DEATH. 113 

understand was given then, and once or twice 
briefly thereafter. 

Soon after the death of a literary friend we 
asked. 

Q. — Can you describe to us the coming to your 
plane of our friend S. O. E. ? 

A. — S. came over by gradual stages. She was 
spiritually in harmony with our and your plane 
sometime before she was elected to become one of 
us. She soon showed signs of consciousness and 
was changed without much worry on her part. 
Now she is happy as a freed soul should be under- 
standing the new life and all its significance. 

The above refers to one who passed away in old 
age, intellectual in her tastes and a believer in 
spirit existence. The following purported to come 
from a friend who in life was a strong believer in 
Spiritualism — very soon after his transition. 

Q. — Will C. W. say something this evening as 
promised? 

A. — Yes. C says, tell Underwood that I shall 
not yet speak of the new society I find myself in. 
Don't want to give wrong evidence in regard to 
spirit return, which is true, true, true ! 

Q. — Have you any special thing you wish to say 
to us ? 

A. — So many things, but principally that we 
never die. I am more alive here than ever before 
— doubt forever dispelled. Oh, if I could do ardent 
things by which I could reach all humanity and 
assure them, as I myself am here assured, of soul 
life! 

Q. — How did you feel at the moment of death ? 
Were you conscious, or unconscious, until after the 
separation from your body ? 

A. — Conscious of a change but one so easily 



114 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

made that I felt puzzled whether, as Paul said, I 
was in the body or out. Sense perceptions so 
changed ! I saw what seemed to be C. W. lying 
inert, senseless, while the real thinking, loving, 
living C. W. stood by unable to will that senseless 
body to any movement, and I said, ' ' Why, I am 
freed from that prison!" 

Q. — Were any of your spirit friends near you at 
that hour, and perceptible to you ? 

A. — Looking around I was much surprised to 
see so many well known friends. 

Q. — Will you tell us who were there ? 

A.— Wilson. 

As this was written I mentally queried, " What 
Wilson ? " When immediately followed, ' ' You 
don't know him." Then was written the full name 
of one of whom I had heard but did not know per- 
sonally. 

Q. — Whom did you first recognize ? 
A.— Mother— then my first wife— B. B. S. W. C. 
H. — spirits innumerable. 

After this followed answers which were too 
much concerned with private affairs to be given, 
but very characteristic; matters unknown to either 
of us present were written about, of a nature which 
I could not without seeming impertinence, under- 
take to verify. 

One evening was written unexpectedly, ' 'Won- 
der if you would wish a word from Franklin B ?" 

As this was the name of a relative who in life had 
been an ardent Methodist, we answered, "Why 
certainly — will he tell us if his changed state met 
his expectations while here ? " 

A. — You ought to know — confess I was so sur- 



EXPERIENCES AFTER DEATH. 115 

prised! Your Aunt M came, and said, "Well, 
Franklin, this is not the sort of heaven we ex- 
pected, is it ? " 

Here the communication was suddenly broken 
off, and further questions received no answer. 
This was a frequent occurrence, showing that our 
wishes were of no helpful avail in regard to what 
was written, 

Once appeared the name of an acquaintance of 
Mr. U.'s boyhood — a commonplace, jolly sort of 
person. Mr. U. asked a number of personal 
questions which were answered satisfactorily, then 
he was asked if he was satisfied with his new 
condition when the following unexpected reply 
was given in words which Mr. U. said were 
characteristic. 

A. — Earth don't amount to shucks when you get 
over here. All right, and happy. 

Q. — But can't you tell us what makes it 
pleasanter — describe so we can understand ? 

A. — You'll find out as I did — 'gainst the rules 
here to tell. 

Q. — You might, however, give us just a hint as 
to what your experience was in leaving your body 
for the new state ? 

A. — Just be patient — it's all easy enough when 
you learn how. I was puzzled, but it all seems 
straight enough now. 

Once when Mr. U. had been speaking of the 
frequent mixed messages, contradictions and 
occasional falsehoods in the earlier phases of 
this writing, as I took my pen again this was 
written : 

Dear Underwood — I don't wonder that you are 



116 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

suspicious of humbug, for in your case I should 
feel the same, but do believe in what we are able 
to do through the goodness of your wife. — One of 
many spirit friends. 

Of one of pure life, high moral worth and cul- 
tured tastes — a widower who died suddenly in 
unpleasant surroundings, when we asked to be 
told how he took his strange transition, was given 
the following : 

A. — E., his wife, wearied of waiting, and when 
his work on earth was done, and done well, she 
prayed that she might be allowed to call him to 
higher work. Her prayer was answered, and to 
emphasize the low estimate spirits set on earthly 
conditions, it was agreed that he should be called 
upon worldly arrangements of such strongly posi- 
tive low grade as to show him most surely what 
spiritual good meant. 

Q. — What were his first impressions or emotions 
on entering spirit life? 

A. — Soon as spirit consciousness broke newly 
upon his soul, he first of all recognized his dear E. 
standing near with the others whom he was most 
in spirit sympathy with ; and as he recognized 
them soul spake to soul as is here allowed. He 
was surprised, but soon joyfully understood the 
new sensation of freedom and positive progression, 
and could not express his gladness at his easy step 
upward. 

One evening as soon as I took my pen, was writ- 
ten, "Shall you wish to hear from spirit spheres? 
There are now present numerous friends who will 
gladly answer questions." 

Q. — Will you give the names of some of these? 

A. — Ghosts are averse to assert Christian names 

which savor of egoism, but if you will call personal 



EXPERIENCES A.FTER DEATH. 117 

names of those with whose thought your most 
spiritual sympathies are in harmony, then will be 
given answers. 

Often in a playful way they named themselves 
''ghosts," "phantasms," etc., words which of 
myself I should not use in regard to this intelli- 
gence, and felt averse to the expressions when 
coining from this source. 

Mr. U. asked whether L. E. was among those 
here present? 

This was the name of a lady of fine intellectual 
attainments and rare logical power, but extremely 
cautious in statement, with whom we had been on 
intimate terms during her life time, who had been 
deeply interested in speculative philosophy, but 
previous to her death had only attained to an 
agnostic position in belief as to a future. To the 
question a somewhat evasive answer was given, 
touching on personal private matters, but indicat- 
ing that she was present. We had often asked to 
hear from her but without avail. 

Q. — Well, if this is really L. E., I would like to 
ask, knowing her disbelief while in this life of any 
future state of existence, how the new state of 
affairs impresses her mind? 

A. — She has thought long over the new and 
altogether unexpected conditions in which she 
found herself, searching for the explanation and 
dares not yet state her shadowy theory, having 
found herself so very much mistaken when trying 
to make definitions of her position while on your 
lower plane. She says she had long wished to get 
into communication with earth friends but scarcely 
knew of a definite statement, which from her pres- 



118 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

ent point of view, she could give confirmation such 
as she would have asked for when with you. 

Q. — Do you think that your present state is pre- 
ferable to our phase of existence? 

A. — Oh yes — a further soul progression — I could 
say much, but do not care to now. I can now 
understand the necessity of doubt while on your 
starting point and will not say more now, as you 
thinkers will understand when you are as I am. 

Q. — Do you know what is taking place among 
your friends on our plane? 

A. — Yes, I am constantly informed of their 
spiritual progress, 

Soon after the death of a somewhat prominent 
materialist another message was interrupted in this 
way : " Enough said as to personals, let some one 
else have a word!" We asked who it was desired 
to write, and after two or three attempts this was 
written : " Man named S. F. wants to attest that 
he still lives much to his surprise." 

B. F. U. — I very much doubt S. F. saying that? 

A. — Your doubt is not so great as was his when 
he was told that he could communicate through 
your wife. Your minds are in many respects the 
most sympathetic that he can be placed in rapport 
with, and though he is bewildered he will try to 

dictate a few words: "S. F. late of , is going 

to express, so far as the new and strange yet 
reasonable condition in which he finds himself will 
permit, his pleasure at the possibility of personal 
communication with one whom he has long known 
as a fellow- worker in the field of rational reform, 
and wishes to assure B. F. Underwood of the 
genuineness of continued existence." 

Q. — What prompts you to come to us especially? 

A. — Love of the truth — which I ever loved, but 
until now dimly understood. I have here the 



EXPERIENCES AFTER DEATH. 119 

prospect of work for humanity as great — yes, far 
greater than I was permitted to accomplish when 
walled by sense conditions. 

Q. — Can you give us a description of the state in 
which you find yourself? 

A. — I wish to give you what is asked, but have 
not time now to decide as to test. I am new here, 
and cannot communicate directly, only by dicta- 
tion, and with mistakes at that. 

The message next given purported to be from 
one whom we knew had no belief in continued 
existence. 

J. E. wishes to say a word. 

Q. — Will he tell us how he likes his new phase 
of being ? 

A. — Spirit. When I crossed over to this side of 
glass or mirror, I trusted greatly to coupons won 
by my life's work, but found to my surprise that, 
thrust asunder from all I had blindly held as true, 
I was all at sea — cast adrift with loss of compass 
and oars. 

Q. — Did not friends come to your aid ? 

A. — Spirits of those who cared for me came 
soon (interruption here.) 

The following was written after the name of a 
wealthy materialist was given, a person who had 
bestowed liberally of his means while here, for 
scientific purposes. 

Those may thank their fates to whom has been 
given the cult of poverty — within that line they 
will be able to do more effective work than I with 
all my money and good will was able to. 

Q. — But you did much good with part of your 
money when here; does not that thought comfort 
you? 

A. — Yes; the good I did is the one comfort I have 



120 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

here, bat oh, the good I could have done had my 
eyes been opened; that makes me unhappy. 

Q. — How did your new state of existence seem 
to you at first ? 

A. — I was really very much astonished. I was 
you know, an out-and-out materialist, and when I 
found out how much mistaken I was, I was over- 
whelmed with distress. 

A very remarkable statement was made to us 
when, very soon after the death of a medical friend, 
we asked if we could be put in communication with 
him. The first reply was : 

Shall you now ask what conditions are necessary 
to M. D.'s communication ? 

We said we would like to know, 

A. — Sensory ducts are born with mortals which 
are here useless, and at re-birth these must be 
eliminated. Changes must occur most surely 
while the soul is unconscious, to make possible 
the realities of the new phase of being, and M. D. 
left earth's sphere in so chaotic a state of intelli- 
gence that it may be long ere his friends can get 
connected messages from him ; but this is strange 
doctrine to your stage of intelligence. 

There is much food for thought as to the con- 
ditions of spirit life in this strange statement as to 
" sensory ducts," as well as in another purporting 
to come from J. P. Mendum, given in another place, 
that "lam told that all sense perceptions will 
slowly die out of my new life." 



RHYTHMIC IMPROVISATION. 121 



CHAPTER VII. 

RHYTHMIC IMPROVISATION. 

A not uncommon argument with those who can- 
not see in any form of this kind of communication, 
intelligence or knowledge beyond or outside of the 
individual personality whose hand is thus made 
use of without conscious willing, is that there is 
no evidence given of superior knowledge. For 
instance I am often told by those who have them- 
selves had no personal experience of this power, 
that the verses I obtain are often not so good as I 
could compose myself; the prevalent idea in regard 
to man's change to another form or sphere of 
being, seeming to be that that change must imme- 
diately make even commonplace individualities 
over into beings capable of the sublimest thought 
and expression, and also capable of imparting at a 
moment's notice such sublime thoughts to our 
limited comprehension, and that if rhymed answers 
be given in this way to commonplace queries the 
rhythm, diction and thought should be far supe- 
rior or at least equal to that of our greatest earthly 
poets. That does ' not seem to me to be the most 
sensible view to take of the matter. 

In my own case, in the first place, there was no 
expectation whatever of rhymed answers being 
given. The very first that ever came was after 
the intelligence guiding my hand had over and 
over declared that this writing was the production 



122 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

of discarnated spirits. When I asked if their state 
was preferable to ours, my expectation was to 
receive an answer in prose; but my hand was made 
to write rapidly as one in a joyous mood this 
parody on " There is a Happy Land." 

There is a happy land 

Not far away 
Where soul with soul doth stand 

With new array 
When we reach that restful shore 
Grief shall pain our hearts no more, 
And the worst of life is o'er 

Forever and aye. 

This was signed George P. Morris, a songwriter, 
whose name I had not thought of for years. The 
answer was so pertinent that as I read it I confess 
it gave me a little thrill of wonder and conviction 
of its truth. 

Next came and soon after this, what purported 
to be from Browning in answer to some question 
as to whether spirits did really thus communicate 
with mortals. I did not expect a rhymed reply. 
The answer was written rapidly: 

Round goes the world as song birds go- 
There comes an age of over-throw, 
Strange dreams come true ; yet still we dream 
Of deeper depths in life's swift stream. 

This intimated, it seemed to me, that we were 
yet at the beginnings of spiritual progress and 
things still stranger to our limited knowledge 
would yet open to our comprehension. To me this 
seemed a beautiful and poetic answer which, if I 
had tried for weeks to arrange as a possible reply 
to my query, I could not have achieved. 

Since these quickly improvised rhymed answers 



RHYTHMIC IMPROVISATION. 123 

to my questions have been given through my hand, 
I have tested, to the best of my ability, my own 
conscious power of improvising rhyme. I have 
tried to answer the simplest question, whose reply 
I could quickly give in prose, in rhyme, but I have 
not been able to think at once of the right words 
which would fall into rhythm, and I must confess 
since I am always in a perfectly normal state, so 
far as I can perceive, while my hand is being used, 
I cannot understand how any subconscious ego can 
be at work in so intellectually alert a way to 
deceive me by declaring these versified answers to 
be the work of " spirits." 

I am sometimes particularly struck with the 
condensed intimations of some of these rhymed 
improvisations, the full import of which does not 
always strike my mind until some time later; for 
example when the name " W. C. Bryant' Was 
written one evening, I said that I did not believe 
that was the poet Bryant. Mr. U. suggested that 
if it were, he might so indicate in some character- 
istic way when, without hesitation, my hand wrote 
the following unique' verse : 

Woods and mountains, fields and pale morn, 
Witnesses were of beauteous wonders .borne 
Into my questing soul while still enthralled 
Within the prison sphere which Matter walled. 

Three years after these lines were written, at 
Cummington, Mass., the birthplace and long time 
home of William Cullen Bryant, was held the 
centennial celebration of the poet's birth, and from 
a newspaper correspondent's description of the old 
homestead site written on that occasion, I find the 



124 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

following corroboration of that wonderfully con- 
densed rhymed answer : 

One thousand feet above the hamlet of West 
Cummington rises abruptly a rocky hill which was 
one of the favorite resorts of William Cullen Bry- 
ant. A short distance to the east the ground rises, 
forming another rounded summit which, though 
185 feet low T er, is still 1,960 feet above the sea. A 
mile from the top of the lower hill, on its eastern 
slope, stands the Bryant homestead, and near it, 
the grove to which on August 16th thousands came 
from near and from far to celebrate the 100th anni- 
versary of the great poet's birth. 

For some time these improvised rhymes con- 
sisted mainly of one or two stanzas or sometimes a 
couplet. After awhile I inquired whether the 
unseen friends would not w T rite me a longer poem 
on a subject of their own choosing. I asked this 
late one night at the close of a sitting and I was 
told that if we would sit for writing at a certain 
date several days ahead, this would be done. 

I may here note a strange fact in these dates 
set by the intelligence writing. They are dates 
rapidly written, before my own mind can think 
ahead far enough to be sure that such dates, given 
with the days of the week on which they come, are 
correct, yet on consulting the calendar, I always 
find them right, showing that, though they say 
our notions of time are all wrong, they have a 
better idea of our time than I myself have. On 
the occasion referred to, we sat at the time 
appointed and the following poem was then 
written : 



RHYTHMIC IMPROVISATION. 125 

SPIRIT THOUGHTS. 

Broadened by our wider sphere 
Souls can think more clearly here ; 
Roads on every side appear, 
But which to take is not so clear. 

Whither leads your poet's thought, 
Overcome by power so fraught 
With spirit lore that here is taught 
Soon as e'er G-od's law is sought ? 

Zealous plead some spirit friends 
Sara's ways with theirs shall trend, 
But Bhama's sterner will must send 
Its martial influence to lend 

Direction as to thought's highway ; 
Where shall we lead so he may stay 
Convinced by us of spirit sway 
Within thought realms of brightest ray '? 

Science is of spirit born, 
Yet pseudo-science spirits scorn ; 
Philosophy, so-called 'mongst men, 
But touches spirit wisdom's hem. 

True science never can be known 

To those who walk by sense alone ; 

Philosophic lore has shown 

Thought essence from our sphere is thrown 

In diluted form and sense 

Suited to man's present tense 

Of childish ignorance — yet intense 

In searching out the why and whence. 

Conclude you, who pupils are, 
Whether we are still so far 
From space and time as to debar 
From sending message to your star. 

Shall we now bid you good-night, 
Smiling o'er the lines we write ? 
Thanks are also due by right 
To those who spirit thoughts indite. 

When the title " Spirit Thoughts" was given, I 
wondered what could be written on such a subject, 
and not one word emanated from my own mind. 



126 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

The last verse takes note of the fact that I was 
smiling at their intimation for Mr. U.'s benefit 
that our earthly physical science was only a small 
outcome of the larger wisdom of spirit spheres. 

It will be noted that Mr. U. is often addressed 
by this intelligence as "Bhama," a name or word 
utterly unknown to either of us. They say it is 
his " spirit name," and when once I asked them to 
explain its meaning the following, which it seems 
to me contains a hint of reincarnation, a theory to 
which I am personally averse, was written : 

Bhama was he in older days, 
Bhama means the word that stays 
With souls sincere, divinely born, 
Elected for the souls forlorn. 

I know this seems fantastic and almost ridicu- 
lous, at least it seemed so to us, and therefore how 
could it emanate from our minds in any way. I 
am sure I cannot believe that, knowing as I do the 
real state of our own minds, so far as we " atoms 
of being" can know ourselves. 

One evening when various circumstances had 
set my mind in a current of depression, I half- 
seriously asked if my unseen friends could, not 
give me some words of comfort in verse. At once 
the following was written, the phraseology and 
sense of which still somewhat puzzle me : 

Sense of writing power here given 
Grows apace with spirits shriven, 
Standing near the gate called Heaven 
Awaiting sin to be forgiven. 

Comfort we would gladly serve 

To each and all whom we observe 

Work within the subtle curve 

Of spirit-lines — soul, sense, and nerve. 



RHYTHMIC IMPROVISATION. 127 

Chanting doubtfully our advice, 
We may give you in a trice 
Sane suggestion that unwise 
'Twould be to state our present guise. 

Shall not thy faith appeal to us 
Whose ardent wish within the Hush 
Of Life, so far beyond the rush 
Of narrow aims which soul-needs crush, 

Is but to help all feeble souls 
Toward their higher aims and goals 
Thought-hampered by Earth's sordid roles— 
We seek to give them 'pass-paroles.' 

Choose then of all we offer free 

The best which we can give to thee : 

And Spirit love hands over sea 

Shall bring in touch— soon thou shalt see. 

I give this only as a specimen of thought and 
expression quite out of line of my own personal 
ideas, for there is intimation in these verses that 
the writer is in some sort of state of probation 
"awaiting sin to be forgiven," and the last lines 
were measurably prophetic. 

Here are some lines in answer to my request that 
my unseen friends give me a word of advice : 

Use with care thy spirit gifts ; 

Clothe our thoughts with kindly words ; 
Bear in mind that what uplifts 

Thoughts to planes above the herds 

Of common souls in farthest ken, 

Must be the spirit's nearest goal, 
Of doing good by us to men 

Because of spirit's love of soul. 

Shall not our sympathies disclose 
Wherein our spirit planes are one? 

Spontaneously we create as shows 
Those percepts Matter's shapes take on. 

And asrain this 



128 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Share with those in darkness held 
The truths of spirit, which shall weld 
With thine the power to lift the low 
Up to the spirit planes we show 

To thee whose love for us is shown 
With earnest proof — and you alone 
Must understand, and true translate 
To those who share our spirit state 

Of higher powers and larger love 
With which we spirits mortals move ; 
By which we show to those of sense 
That spirit power is no pretence. 

Once when I felt annoyed by certain letters 
which came to me from some simple hearted per- 
sons ignorant of what spiritual communication 
meant beyond some fortune-telling tricks, asking 
me to sit for them to find out where certain stolen 
articles were, etc., I asked my unseen friends how 
such persons should be treated — asked with a kind 
of indignation which I expected them to sympathize 
with, as they seemed to understand me pretty well, 
but to my surprise the following verses was their 
answer : 

Bounded by your spirit band 

Soul attraction draws all strands 

Of earthly friendship, shared with those 

Whose spirit sympathies disclose 

Whatever aims with thine are one 
Strive they upward— joys begun 
Upon the earth-sphere they shall gain 
In some far distant spirit plane. 

Love then thy friends of simple lives ; 
Bethink thee of the hope that strives 
To lead them upward to the spheres 
Joined spirally from lowest tiers. 

I have before quoted the answer given to me 
when I said once that I dreaded more the painful 



RHYTHMIC IMPROVISATION. 129 

process by which the spirit escaped the body than 
the fact of death itself, but think it worth while to 
reproduce it here: 

Strange may seem soul life to all 
Whose knowledge bounds, within the wall 
Of sense, are held by laws which pain 
Born of love, shall burst again. 

Pain, born of love, shall burst our bounds of 
present knowledge and thus open to our widened 
vision real soul life! Such a thought should 
surely reconcile us somewhat to the pain of the 
process by which we will enter into liberty. 

Once when we expressed a desire for some clear 
statement in regard to the conditions of spirit life, 
there was written: 

Friends, please take on trust our love, 
Perhaps yourselves will sometime prove 
How slowly mortal sense can rate 
The gleams from powers above your state. 

When asked why we had- to pass through this 
phase of existence, this was the reply: 

Potter's clay must take the form, 
Spirits will it shall be born. 

Another couplet expresses an apparent truth of 

this life — 

The self-conceit of mortal man 
Is but a part of the eternal plan ! 

When I questioned what seemed to me in a meas- 
ure dogmatic dicta from this source, this answer 
was given : 

Share thou with those of earthly lines 
Thousand sealed orders whose designs 
Great shall seem when understood 
By larger light of brotherhood. 



130 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Once when I asked to be shown what good would 
come of all these communications through my hand, 
this was the answer: 

Slow moves power through praise and prayer, 

Shall not good come from our care ? 

And ours shall ever be the task 

To guide your souls our side the mask. 

Once, when I had rather insisted upon getting a 
rhymed thought from this source, the following 
was written without pause : 

Poets are not forced to sing 

Charming songs to please ; 
Still to you we choose to bring 

Rhymes like summer breeze. 
Shall not we, who poets are, 

Answer you who fain would be 
Counted midst our skies a star, 

That stars spin in their courses free '? 

At another time, when, after some serious writ- 
ing had been given, I pleaded for a verse of some 
kind, some little hesitation was shown; then one 
was begun a little impatiently, shown by jerky, 
rapid writing, 

Should we whose thought is mortal's aid 

Submit to rhythmic furors played 

By- 
then stopped and wrote "Good-night," Where- 
upon I asked to be forgiven for my importunity. 
Immediately, without division into lines, this was 
written : 

We are not in rhyming mood; 
Please let that be understood. 
Rhymes are babe's diversions you 
Should never ask us to pursue. 

Again, when we had disputed some of their 



RHYTHMIC IMPROVISATION. 131 

statements they went off into rythmic rage as 
follows : 

Bounded by your spirit bars 
Waves of psychic rhythm wars 
Against your cold, phlegmatic souls 
Which see and seek but selfish goals. 

This unprovoked display of petulance amused us 
and evoked the remark: "Don't you think your 
insinuations are rather severe and unjust? 

Sometimes spirits grow severe, 
When everything they see and hear 
Takes the. form of selfish quest 
To gain from every spirit guest. 
Sadly doubtful souls e'en here 
Grow humanity to fear ; 
Sincerity and courteous words 
With spirit being best accords. 

' ' It seems to us that it is you who are lacking in 
sincerity and courteous words," was remarked in 
reply, ' ' and you know quite well that we ask the 
questions we do from no selfish motives whatever. 
Don't you think it is you who are in the wrong?" 

Brought before our spirit court 

Shall not the verdict be en tortf 

Perfection's phase is not yet ours, 

Far higher spheres may give such dowers. 

Of poetry they wrote: 

Bond of brotherhood divine 
Born in men of every clime 
Stronger grows as souls grow strong, 
Speaks to all through ..poet's song. 

In these rythmic improvisations we were person- 
ally often rebuked, encouraged, and given lessons 
in conduct and character, while we ourselves were 
not at all in didactic or rhythmic moods. 



132 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



CHAPTER VIII 

SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 



During our various sittings, which were never 
held regularly — often months elapsing between — 
and never very long at a time, all sorts of 
questions came up incidentally, and I shall 
endeavor under the head of " Spirit Teachings" to 
classify partially the replies on various subjects 
given on different occasions. 

That Supreme Intelligence that Christianity 
names " God " is never so named by the authors of 
the writing given through my hand, but the terms 
used are "the All-of- Good," "the All-of -Being," 
etc. I here reproduce a few such references : 

Q. — Do you, from your advanced point of view, 
discern clearly the why and wherefore of 
existence ? 

A. — Yonder in the distance is the All-of -Being — 
still so ghostly in its affirmations. Yet at this 
point we know no more than you do on a lower 
round of the ladder. 

In a communication purporting to come from the 
Mystic, Jacob Boehme, reference is made to the 
source of spirit as follows : 

Q. — Can you tell us something characteristic of 
your own individuality, so that we may recognize 
whether your claim to be Boehme the mystic phil- 
osopher, is true ? 

A. — The man called Boehme, like thousands of 
so-called Monons was but the expression man's 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 133 

knowledge could take shape in, of the great All-of- 
Being — gods, ye call yourselves — ye are but the 
faint reflections of the thought of gods who dared 
make you Atoms in their images, distorted at that 
— but before you lies the path to greatness equal 
to your glorious paternity. 

Q. — Do you mean to imply that we are creations, 
and so have no eternal existence ? 

A. — What is your idea of what is meant by the 
word eternal ? 

Q. — That which is without beginning and with- 
out end ? 

A. — Yes ; but ye know not that which is without 
beginning or end — language with you hath not 
words to express eternal verities. Ye are but 
babes. Why ask us to give you knowledge before 
you have taken lessons in science of thought and 
spiritual knowledge ? 

Q. — That is hardly a fair answer. Although we 
may not be able to grasp in its entirety the idea of 
eternity, yet we do know what the word eternal 
means in a general way. 

A. — Eternal from your atomistic point of view 
does not mean anything whatever. You are not 
able to definitely define or explain it. We admire 
your courage in seeking to do battle with us on a 
point you think perfectly clear, but we cannot 
explain to you points of the question utterly inex- 
plicable from your primary school of knowledge. 

Q. — Can you tell us, at least, whether spirit as a 
whole, or in its individual atoms, exists eternally? 

A. — Yes. Spirit as a whole is eternal — exists, 
did exist — will exist by force of Powers you 
cannot understand. But you as individual, 
self-conscious atomistic particles of spirit whole- 
ness, are not eternal and must return to the Primal 
Source. There is happiness, however, almost 
undreamable, — possible before you atoms are 



134 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

submerged. — returned to that Primal Source, which 
makes your existence all good. 

Q.— Could you not give us an idea through what 
process such happiness is to be obtained? 

A. — Souls of those born of our spiritual travail, 
can you not understand how deep our interest in 
you may be, though we are debarred by law beyond 
. your ken, of giving you hints of your kinship to 
higher phases of life. 

Q. — Well we are grateful at least for your kind 
expressions of interest in us — that is pleasing to 
know. 

A. — Your happiness works toward ours — man's 
nature we know — good night. 

At another time the following was given : 

B. F. U. — Can you tell us in what consisted the 
sin against the Holy Ghost? 

A. — Shall you wish to know what the Holy 
Ghost means? 

Q. — We would like your definition. 

As I considered the Holy Ghost, as popularly 
regarded, a mere myth, and had no idea that it 
was in any way a philosophical conception, I pro- 
tested here against considering such nonsense, but 
my hand just then wrote rapidly the following : 

A. — Long ago the chief thinkers like Socrates, 
Plato, Epicurus, and many such, were anxious to 
find out the Essence of Spirit, but only partially 
was their earnest search rewarded. The Essence 
of Being — Spencer's Unknown (not Unknowable) 
— was the unanswered answer to these queries of 
earnest spirits. The Holy Ghost is the Unknown 
of Herbert Spencer — the Essence of life of other 
thinkers — the spirit of inquiry of today, the 
inspiration of the revelations given through you 
and many others. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 135 

Q. — Have you on your plane any more definite 
ideas regarding the being, or personality called 
God than we have? 

A. — Shall any man by searching find out God? 

Q. — Why do you use the term man? I -thought 
you called yourselves spirits. 

A. — Spirits we are. All Matter must pessimis- 
tically persist in declaring that Spirit is not, and 
cannot be, when the truth is, that Matter is not, 
save phenomena, and Spirit is the only reality. 

Another time when we asked a word of explana- 
tion as to the characteristics of the Supreme Power 
from the Spiritual point of view, we received a 
somewhat rebuking answer in these words : 

A. — Thou askest of us a word from our soul to 
yours, sense bound sharers with us of spiritual possi- 
bilities! Brother and sister whose two sense 
developments are really but one assertive Spark of 
the great Soul of Being, ye should understand that 
ye are yet in your embryo condition spiritually, 
and we might as well try to teach the human 
embryo all the possibilities of earth-life yet to be, 
as to teach you before transition the truths per- 
taining to the higher spheres possible to you! How 
shall we in this sphere so far beyond yours, 
explain that which no words, nor experience or 
environments on your plane, have cognizance of? 

SPIRIT AND MATTER. 

Q. — Do higher beings live in space of four 
dimensions? 

A. — Space of dimensions pertains to matter, and 
beings outside of matter's limitations cannot answer 
your pertinent questions with clear-cut meaning to 
those on your plane of three dimensions. Oh! 
shall not you sometime wonder at your own blinded 
perceptions, when your eyes are opened! Shouldst 
thou not ask more questions pertaining to the 



136 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

higher spiritual life of Being, than to confine your 
thoughts to these sciolistic queries which have 
meanings only to quibbling souls on your narrow 
plane, 

Q. — Has matter any actual existence? 

A. — That cannot be answered until you under- 
stand what is meant by actual existence. 

Q. — What we mean by actual existence of 
matter is as we now know it as related to our 
consciousness. 

A. — States of consciousness are symbols through 
which mortal men are brought more surely within 
the radius of eternal truth. 

Q. — Can you explain the true relation between 
Spirit and Matter? 

A. — Sense perceptions and sense language may 
not explain to you what to us is, oh, how clear! 

Q. — Won't you try to give an answer which will 
at least approximately explain your meaning? 

A. — Spirit and matter, while apparently in 
unison so far as you can understand, are yet as far 
apart as light and shade, as right and wrong, as 
husk and grain. 

All through these communications emphasis is 
laid on the power and law of Love in the universe ; 
I give here a few out of many such expressions. 



Q. — How shall we assimilate more and more to 
the higher spiritual life ? 

A. — Conquer selfishness ; love all ; outgrow envy; 
grow ashamed of the lower nature in you and fight 
it day by day, so shall you more and more assimi- 
late to spiritual life. 

Q. — Will not Pharos give us some strong sen- 
tences in regard to the spiritual life ? 

A. — Self must ever become less and less predom- 
inant as man's spirit ascends toward the power 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 137 

that permeates all Being. Assumption of great- 
ness in Atoms prevents ascension of spirit toward 
the greater happiness of spiritual lovingness, and 
growth onward toward wisdom. 

Q. — Is love a means of discipline, as well as a 
spring of perpetual joy ? 

A. — Your question goes to the root of spiritual- 
ity, and would demand volumes to reply — but in 
brief we may say that love is the root, power, and 
substance of all things, spiritual, temporal, and 
carnal. 

Q. — When one enters Spirit-life what is the 
highest condition of satisfaction and advance- 
ment ? 

A. — Surrender of egotistic clamor and self-con- 
sciousness ; longing to help others more helpless — 
desire to be of use, and shamefacedness over the 
little able to be accomplished. 

Q.— What stands in Spirit-life as the highest test 
of character ? 

A. — Spiritual life has degrees as physical life 
has. Different tests are used to test varying 
planes. 

Q. — What quality counts for the most in spirit- 
ual evolution ? 

A. — Should st thou not say, "Wherein shall be 
seen the thought-growth of soul atoms." 

Q. — Well, wherein shall be seen the thought- 
growth of soul atoms ? 

A. — In enlargement of sympathy ; in develop- 
ment of spiritual perception, and the glow of 
spiritual love. 

Q. — Are our spirit friends often with us ? 

A. — Spiritual care-takers have only certain 
duties as your guardians. The most essential 
part is to spur you onward to help yourselves. 

Q. — Is it not a great trial of patience to you to 
deal with earth's unstable creatures ? 

A. — Earth's children are as plants to the gar- 



138 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

dener. We are often disappointed in the growth 
and blossoming of these mortal slips and cuttings 
or seedlings, but we are equally delighted when 
our care is repaid by some beautiful blossom or 
new variety of plant. 

Q. — Is it within the possibilities of spiritual law 
that sure evidence of spirit existence can be given 
to R — as he so much desires ? 

A. — Love is the basis of all these human queries, 
and with that common state of sense and soul 
desire, we here are gifted with greater power to 
help than you are — but there are laws of angelic 
limitation regarding man which, while they grieve 
us as much as they do you, are yet infrangible. 

Q. — Will you give us some equivalent word for 
infrangible ? 

A. — Unchangeable. 

As to the meaning of the word "infrangible " I 
was not then sure, but on consulting the dictionary 
I found that the equivalent given was perhaps the 
nearest in meaning of any other. 

Q. — You say all depends upon love, but how can 
self-respecting persons help despising mean and 
malicious souls who only seek to injure others ? 

A. — Look upon such servile souls abjectly fore- 
sworn with pity, because of their servility to evil 
and consequently slavish portions of true life. 

Q. — But we have an aversion to snakes and kill 
them. What should be our feelings toward human 
rattlesnakes who by malice and hatred do injury ? 

A. — That such enmity to dangerous creatures 
exists now, is the legitimate outcome of false con- 
ceptions of doubtful souls. On your plane you are 
able to perceive only one or two sides of many- 
sided problems. To give you clear answers to 
your one-sided question we should be able to endow 
you with knowledge beyond your present capacity. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 139 

Some day you will understand. Love the least 
lovable when your knowledge has saved you from 
the love of hatred. Hatred of even the detestable 
lowers the striving divinity within man. 

Akin to their insistence upon love as the law of 
life, were their explanations of life's sorrows and 
miseries. 

EVIL. 

Q. — Can you give us any information in regard 
to the so-called devil — once so firmly believed in? 

A. — Devil is a word used to conjure with. 

Q. — Well then, as the word itself doubtless arose 
from the word evil, which means to us unhappi- 
ness, can you give us an explanation of the exist- 
ence of evil? 

A.— Evil — as you who are the greatest sufferers 
from it, name one of the conditions of progress — is 
as necessary, aye, more so, than what you call 
good, to your and our elevation to higher spheres. 
It is not to be hated but welcomed. It is the win- 
nowing of the grain from the chaff. Children of 
truth, don't worry over what to you seems evil S 
soon you will be of us and will understand and be 
rejoiced that what you call evil persists and works 
as leaven in the great work of mind versus matter. 

Q. — But it seems to us impossible that brutal 
crimes like murder, assassinations or great catas- 
trophies, by which the innocent are made to suffer 
at the hands of malicious and cruel persons, should 
work for ultimate good? 

A. — Percipients of the grand whole of Being, 
can understand but may not state to those on your 
plane the underlying good making itself asserted 
even through such dreadful manifestations of 
human imperfections as the crimes you name. 

When asked why certain wrongs were allowed to 
be perpetuated, this answer was given : 



140 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

There is a law of psychical essence which makes 
necessary all these ephemeral entanglements which 
to you seem so severe, and you will yet see from 
your own standpoint of reason why such hardships 
must be endured by questioning souls on the high- 
way of progress. 

Q. — But do you from your vantage ground of 
larger knowledge grow careless that such injustice 
is done? 

A. — We do care, but cannot remedy. 

Q. — Why can't you remedy? 

A. — Because humanity is but an embryo of 
existence. 

Q. — Do you on your plane have immunity from 
the griefs and ills which we here are obliged to 
endure? 

A. — Life here, while akin to and an evolutionary 
outcome of the life which you are now passing 
through, is on a wholly different subjectivity. 
There are evils and what may be termed troubles 
with us; but they are far from the unbearableness 
of the sorrows earth- souls are necessarily called 
upon to endure. Our deepest griefs come from 
our sympathy with your evanescent troubles. 

Q. — Are we to understand that you who now 
address us have reached the highest sphere attain- 
able? 

A. — Ah, no ! Nor do we care to until we have 
trod the lower rounds of the ladder of being. 

Q. — If you can perceive the trials and sorrows 
of mortals and can interfere to save them, why do 
you not more often do so? 

A. — When undeveloped souls pay the price of 
development, we stand aloof and let the play go 
on. Interference will do no good. 

PROPHECY. 

Q. — Is prophetic vision sometimes given to mor- 
tals? 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 141 

A. — Ecstatic states, so-called, are given to those 
on your plane sometimes, wherein that which is 
planned for good of humanity may be promised. 

Q. — Are we then to understand that everything 
is foreordained ? 

A. — No. Everything is not ordained ; man him- 
self gives some marked power to direct. 

Q. — Do spirits, perceiving causes hidden from 
us, foresee coining events that are beyond our 
prescience? 

A. — Partially do human banded possibilities 
somehow define their course to certain spirits who 
make study of the laws underlying defined orbits. 

Q. — Are those persons who are the mediums for 
prophetic utterances usually the most intellectual 
and far-seeing? 

A. — No, their very weakness makes them reflec- 
tors of higher thought, wider knowledge. 

Q. — Why are there so many predictions made 
through mediums which prove false? 

A. — Wonderful guesses are sometimes made by 
daring spirits. 

Q. — Is it not true that necessity prevails in the 
mental, as well as in the physical order? 

A. — Thought-force goes ever in ordained lines. 
Your theory as seen from earthly standpoints is 
convincing, but from our point of view facts are 
gained which would materially alter your ideas. 

Q. — Can you give us intimation of some of these 
facts ? 

A. — Mortal sense cannot know. Good-ni^ht. 

Q. — Can you tell us anything of the future ? 

A. — Pharos says you must not ask questions of 
the future — spirits who prophesy are not good 
spirits. 

Q.— Why ? 

A. — Because the Great One gives not true 
divination to his children, who must grow — 



142 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — Do you mean . that it is not best for us to 
know the future ? 

A. — Souls on your plane are undergoing discip- 
line, and it would cost more than it is worth to 
foretell the future of your state. 

At another time the following apparently 
contradictory statement was made by another 
writer : 

Q. — What is your idea as to prophecy ? Can 
some human beings foresee the future ? 

A. — Those ideal thoughts which every sincere 
soul embraces as truth may become embodied in 
some form in human beings, and may have power 
to warn and to prophesy. 

In somewhat the same line of thought is what 
was written in regard to prayer and faith cures. 

POWER OF PRAYER. 

Q. — Will our friends tell us whether from their 
point of view there is any real efficacy in prayer ? 

A. — Shall not "a soul's sincere desire " arouse 
in discarnate and free spirits effort to make that 
pure desire a reality ? What good can come from 
aspirations on mortal planes, save through the 
efforts to make those aspirations realized on 
spiritual planes by the will of freed spirits. 

Q. — What are the essential spiritual conditions 
. of true answer to prayer ? 

A. — Show thou why prayer is ever answered 
save through love for assertive mortal minds who 
are so spiritual in thought and longing as to force 
our sympathetic souls into helpful converse with 
them. 

Q. — Then our active material life is not favorable 
to spiritual help ? 

A. — Spiritual life has not gained any help from 
material sources save in the way of ephemeral 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 143 

conditions by reason of the sphere which is desirous 
to communicate. 

Q. — What is the essential truth as to the efficacy 
of prayer ? 

A. — Soul answereth to soul because of spiritual 
oneness, and strength comes by reason of unity of 
purpose and will. 

Q. — Do our strong desires uttered, or unuttered 
influence spirit friends or forces, and react upon 
us in accomplishment of our wishes ? 

A. — Zones of spiritual sympathies are here of 
strong prevailment, and when spirits who are yet 
clothed in mortal vestments powerfully prevail 
through sympathetic energy, those in rapport with 
them in our sphere are obliged to aid. 

Q. — What, is the chief agency in the cures 
effected at Lourdes, France, under the auspices of 
the Catholic Church ? 

A.— Thought. 

Q. — Please simplify your answer. 

A. — Thought means so much! You are not yet 
able to grasp the word in its supreme sense — you 
pride yourselves on what you think you know ; 
poor primary pupils in the world of spirit! how 
shall we who are but little in advance of you 
explain that which we have learned since our 
transition? 

Q. — Is the Thought which produces the cures at 
Lourdes chiefly on our side, or your side of being? 

A. — Spirit works as strongly on your side when 
conditions are powerful, as on our side — and very 
often spirits in mortal frames when in harmony 
with the workings of the Essence of Being, change 
by divine impulse- the outcome of sense laws. 

ABOUT CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. 

Q. — Are the claims of so-called Christian scien- 
tists true, that they have the power to overcome 
matter by force of mind, and so can cure disease ? 



144 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — Don't ask about conditions which are mis- 
understood and misunderstood because those who 
seek to know make blunders in the direction of 
truth. 

Q.— If Christian science does cure disease, how 
is it accomplished ? 

A. — Spirit and matter are two phases or aspects 
of one harmonious divinity, and when spirit is in 
the ascendant, matter loses its dominant power on 
your plane, and pain, which is the sense develop- 
ment of matter, is temporarily conquered. 

Q. — Is it not just as true that pleasure is a sense 
development of matter, as that pain is ? 

A. — No — Pleasure is the higher and monistic 
prerogative of both mind and matter, and is inde- 
pendent of matter. Pain is the legitimate accom- 
paniment of matter. But until we meet you cannot 
understand. 

Q. — Is mind-reading, as we understand it, possi- 
ble between those still in the flesh ? 

A. — Spirit clothed in sense vestments is still 
most truly spirit. Atoms, of the great All of Being 
(which you name God, but which to our clearer yet 
bounded perceptions is still unnamed) because of 
unison with mind everywhere, are possessed of 
spiritual power. 

It must be remembered that the parties asking 
the questions in regard to Christian science had no 
belief in or bias toward that phase of thought, and 
the replies were against their preconceptions. 

THEOSOPHY. 

Q.- — What is your opinion of Theosophy ? 

A. — Theosophy as you ought to understand con- 
tains considerable truth and considerable error. 

Q. — Is there any truth in what theosophists 
claim, that long ago men lived who were much 
wiser than we are to-day ? 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 145 

A. — Long ago men were eager as they caught 
such glimpses of truth as conditions made possible 
and grew anxious to reach immediately concrete 
things, and came to conclusions hastily. Those 
conclusions having their base in truth they con- 
sidered final, whereas they are only the beginnings 
of a long course of lessons. Impatience is one of 
the greatest impediments to progress in conveying 
to your minds what we are anxious to give you 
evidence of. 

Q. — Your reply does not seem to us a clear 
answer to our question? 

A. — Ah, don't you understand that we can't 
assimilate our thoughts to your vagaries? We 
could explain, if you understood our nomenclature 
but every environment has its language, and ours 
is altogether different from what you are accus- 
tomed to — later, we will try, dear children, to 
make clear what is obscure. We understand your 
limitations. 

Another time when a different mind- seemed 
present I asked in regard to what truth there 
might be in Theosophy, when the following answer 
entirely opposed to my own convictions was writ- 
ten, which I give as received while personally 
disbelieving its correctness : 

A. — As one who is in sympathy with every effort 
of humanity to perfect itself, I must endorse the 
theosophical creation. Bigotry will forever retard 
progress on spiritual planes. 

Again, 

Q. — Can you tell us which is nearest the truth, 
Theosophy or Spiritualism? 

A. — Both Theosophy and Spiritualism contain 
germs of soul truth, but your sphere is so enwrap- 
ped with phantasms that we who are cognizant of 



146 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Being's realities may not spiritually explain what 
to us is very clear. 

Q. — Are there such persons living in the flesh as 
Mahatmas — as claimed by Theosophists ? 

A. — Thinkers overestimate those spiritually 
minded souls who have given themselves to study 
of spiritual matters. 

Q. — But, answer us more specifically : Are there 
in the Mountains of Thibet such apparently won- 
derful characters as Theosophists declare — with 
chelas, etc ? 

A. — One grain of truth in a mountain of miscon- 
ception is often sufficient among mortals to create 
strange misapprehensions — and though there are 
favored students of spiritual mysteries in India, 
their power and attainments are gravely misunder- 
stood and overestimated. 

The curious thing about this answer is that it is 
directly opposed to my own personal belief. 

It will, be observed in the spirit teachings given 
in this and other chapters that scriptural phrase- 
ology is frequently used, and I wish specially to 
call attention to this fact, which is the more 
strange because neither of the persons assisting in 
getting these answers has any predeliction for 
that style of composition, nor the least adeptness 
at using it. To me personally whose hand does 
the writing, the use of this rapidly-written phrase- 
ology is one of the convincing proofs of the origin 
of these communications. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 147 



CHAPTER IX. 

SPIRIT TEACHINGS— [Continued.] 
RELIGION. 

Q. — Will you answer questions this evening 
concerning Religion ? 

A. — We are very glad you have opened that 
question, and if you will propound the points 
which from your earthly point of view are most 
pertinent, we will answer. 

Q. — Will you give us a general philosophical 
definition of Religion ? 

A. — Religion, as you term the science of Being, 
is Spirit — what existence comprises, and we who 
comprehend the phases of life which you primary 
school pupils cannot do, best know what Religion 
means. Religion phrases man's dimly defined 
recognition of the unity of Being — the Oneness of 
that which counts as many in the refracted images 
of your ideas. 

Q. — What is the distinctive difference between 
Religion and Morality ? 

A. — Shared with still another force, that of 
control of Spirit by willing on the part of best of 
atomistic development, called humanity, Religion 
is the gold separated from the alloy of selfishness. 

Q.— Then what is Morality ? 

A. — Morality is the body of which Religion is 
the Soul. 

Q. — Is Religion in a low form consistent with 
absence of moral ideals and conduct ? 

A.- — Spiritually considered your question must 
be answered negatively, but from a merely worldly 
estimation, the affirmative would be best. 

Q. — What do you say of the sincere religious 



148 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

belief of savage, or criminal minds, that by appeals 
to the Unseen, seek to obtain aid in evil purposes? 

A. — What we have to say is in entire consonance 
with your human experience, that mere belief, 
without sincere and pure desire for the good of 
all, is of no avail. 

Q. — You often in these communications speak of 
the binding laws of spiritual life — that because of 
them you cannot give us such and such informa- 
tion, etc. Now, who makes those laws, and 
whence came they, and how are they taught ? 

A. — Thou say 'st "who" — therefore we cannot 
answer. Go back to the first question and ask one 
at a time. 

Q. — Well, who makes the laws ? 

A. — Spirits are not bondaged by jjersons. 

.Q. — Then how do you come to know those laws? 

A. — Pharos will now answer. Spiritual laws are 
spiritually perceived as soon as the physical per- 
ceptions are got rid of. 

Q. — Could you explain to us those laws? 

A. — Courses of teaching from our side are as 
necessary for you to understand even the rudi- 
mentary laws of Being, as courses in your colleges ; 
and guessed at spirit knowledge from your 
bounded view must always fail in accurate word- 
ing. 

ABOUT JESUS. 

I may preface what follows from the thought of 
our unseen friends with the statement that person- 
ally I do not accept the Christian theory of the 
special divinity of Jesus of Nazareth, but some- 
thing previously written by my hand made me 
think our friends thought of him differently from 
myself, which caused me to ask as follows : 

Q. — Do you accept Jesus as. a model of spiritual 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 149 

A. — Shall you give us a better example? 

Q. — Well, we are willing to accept him as one of 
many, but not as chief. 

A.— Change the name. Call him by other names 
— Buddha, Chrishna or Mohammed, the spirit is one 
— is ever and ever the 'same. Spirit is one, not 
many, however often the name is changed. 

Q.— Were not Jesus, Buddha and Mohammed dis- 
tinct personalities? 

A. — No more than all atoms emanating from the 
same source — parts of the great All of Being, par- 
taking of the general characteristics of the grand 
whole — but yielding to environments, showed 
marked individualism, such as the force of the 
times in which they appeared would create in their 
characters. 

Q. — Are these leaders of religious thought not 
distinct individual ties now? 

A. — No, not on spiritual planes which do not 
recognize any now. 

Q. — What was the essential point of difference 
between the characters of Buddha and Jesus? 

A. — One — Buddha — was of the governing class. 
He for love of the Race lowered himself to the 
level of the lowliest sufferer. Jesus was of the 
people. He raised the standard of morality, so 
that both high and humble could march under the 
one banner. 

Q. — Wherein was Buddha mistaken as to his 
mission? 

A. — Misconceptions are the legitimate outcome 
of earth's undeveloped phase of life, of being. 
Buddha, like many other earthly philosophers had 
caught a gleam, but only a gleam, of Divine Truth. 
He acted promptly upon the light shown, but as 
that light could be but partial, he made mistakes 
as all humanity is liable to. 

Q. — In what respect was Jesus misled? 

A. — Christ Jesus built up his faith on the Jewish 



150 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

promise of a messiah who would govern this 
earthly plane — by Love, as he understood ; by 
Force of Almighty Power, as the ignorant Jews 
thought. 

Q. — What was the real character of Christ? 

A.- — Spiritual servitor, misunderstood and 
maligned. 

I am tempted to add here a little coincidence. 
Just as I had finished transcribing the above, I 
took up for another purpose an old copy of the 
Religio Philosophical Journal, and the first words 
which caught my eyes were the following written 
by Mr. J. O. Woods, which is so pertinent that I 
copy it: 

As we have almost an infinity of thoughts there 
may be likewise an infinity of divine creations or 
words. The Christ or Love word ever works or 
sacrifices himself in his creation, lifting it to a 
higher life through love, the law of its nature. 
We say: 

Christ or Love is sacrifice, 
Christ in various form and guise 
Is slain for man from all eternity ; 
When we others' sorrows share 
When we others' burdens bear, 
"Tis Jesus still ascending Calvary. 

REINCARNATION. 

It has not infrequently happened that statements 
entirely opposite to my own belief, wish and con- 
victions have been made by the intelligence guiding 
my hand. Before I began these experiments I 
had no real belief in continued existence, in spirit 
communication and other things to which I have 
been converted solely through these writings for 
which my own hand has been used. But some- 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 151 

times still, statements are made as to theories 
really repugnant to my mind. Such for instance 
as those in regard to reincarnation, and I will here 
give some of these, showing how a theory to 
which I am personally opposed may be argued by 
what some people still insist must be my sub-con- 
scious self. 

Q. — Will you state whether there is any truth in 
the theory of reincarnation ? 

A. — Thou askest as all born of woman ask, to 
know before spiritual knowledge is gained, the 
questions pertaining to spheres beyond yours. 

Q. — Then you refuse to give answer to that 
question — one which disturbs many mortal minds? 

A. — Incarnation means spirit clothed with mat- 
ter. Reincarnation should convey the idea that 
the clothing was ■ outgrown before the spirit 
attained maturity. Seest thou the soul's pre- 
science of spiritual possibilities? 

Q. — Do you mean that it is among spiritual 
possibilities, that a soul which has not, in one 
mortal incarnation, attained spiritual maturity may 
again be incarnated, but that it is not always a 
necessity? 

A. — Such would seem to be a necessary conclu- 
sion. 

Q. — Will you give us anything further in regard 
to reincarnation? 

A. — Subject not to be explained to you as yet. 

Again : 

Q. — Are not Jesus and Buddha, and in fact all 
other human beings who have lived on earth still 
distinct individuals? 

A. — Look around among your many individual- 
ities on your plane at the present time. Canst 
thou mark one who has not been beforetime 
asserted in some other form? 



152 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — Is that statement an intimation of the truth 
of reincarnation"? 

A. — Souls of all who have preceded you two, are 
centered in you in spite of your childish protests. 
Ask not of those predecessors, for they yet live in 
you and you live in them. 

Again: In such intimations as the following 
which I must frankly say seem to me nonsensical. 
At the close of some argumentative words from 
Mr. U. in regard to a statement from that source, 
was written : 

A. — Long ago you could argue no better on self- 
evident truths than you do now. 

B. F. U. — What do you mean by that statement? 

A. — Long ago you and I went over the ground 
under eminent names. 

Q. — What were the eminent names — will you 
tell us ? 

A. — Cannot, for it would seem nonsense to you 
both. 

And again : 

A. — Were we not together when Socrates and 
Aspasia talked ? 

Once when Mr. U. asked, 

Q. — Will you explain to us the law by which 
you can make use of Sara's hand to write your 
thoughts '?. 

A. — Sara is a helper because former generations 
are sublimated in her individuality. She has to 
express ages of protest in direct lines. She is a 
representative o£ long lines. She is the voice of 
generations of which she knows little, 

Now to those who do not personally know me 
the above will assuredly seem the inflated expres- 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 153 

sion of self-conceit. They who do know me will 
well understand how distasteful such oracular 
utterances must be, to one who dislikes pretension 
of any sort. I should blush for myself even if only 
in the presence of my husband were I capable of 
saying this of my own accord. But I am puzzled 
why such a statement should be made, since all I 
know of "protest in direct lines " of my own an- 
cestry is the fact of the Scotch Covenanters from 
whom on one side I am descended. 

I am sometimes inclined to believe that many of 
our friends on the other side have not entirely lost 
their sense of humor by the fact of transition from 
earth-form, and like to test the self-conceit of 
mortals by making statements in the above vein. 
I give this only for its hint of reincarnation, a 
theory to which I am heartily opposed. It is very 
distasteful to me, and assuredly if the matter was 
left to my decision I would by no means consent to 
accept another trial of this existence, not under 
the most favorable conditions possible. 

Occasionally one writer will, however, impliedly 
contradict what has been said by another. What I 
have already given in regard to possible reincar- 
nation was from our usual " control," but when we 
were receiving a communication from a person 
recently deceased who was a strong materialist in 
earth-life he referred to a very intimate friend of 
his who, once sharing his materialistic or agnostic 
views, had become a convert to Theosophy. We 
asked if while he knew her on earth if she had 
privately even to him expressed belief in future 
existence. The reply was : 



154 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A — She one day said to me, "B — do you see 
any foundation for a hope anywhere of a future 
life ? " I answered no ; but she held that hope, and 
to-day I am glad for her sake that she gets nearer 
the truth than I did. But she is still somewhat 
astray, 

Q. — In what consists her mistake from your 
present point of view ? 

A. — She accepts the reincarnation theory ; she 
mistakes spiritual knowledge for sense-perceptions, 
and lowers the power of spirit-return by ascribing 
it to mortal knowledge. 

THE SUB-CONSCIOUS EGO. 

Q. — What is the sub-conscious ego ? 

A. — Your ideas are all wrong. 

Q. — Please give us then your ideas of the 
so-called sub -conscious ego. 

A. — So-called — that is, consciously understood 
on your plane. There is no sub-conscious ego 
from our point of view. There are multiplex egos 
conceived through one sense organism when that 
organism is multiplex in formation and design. 

Q. — Are these multiplex egos so many distinct 
personalities or spirits ? 

A. — Soul atoms which go to make the all of 
Being. 

Q. — Do you know about the case of Ansel 
Bourne ? 

A. — Take the case of Lurancy Vennum. 

Q. — Well, in that case were there two distinct 
souls manifested through one body ? 

A.— Yes. 

Q. — Where was the first inhabitant of that body 
when the second took possession ? 

A. — Lurancy and Mary were but two phases of 
one individuality, common-place and easily assimil- 
able. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 155 

Q. — They seemed to be two distinct persons. 
Did they have a deeper underlying common 
personality ? 

A. — When you come over on our side the Veil 
you will understand that planes of Being make 
common-place individuals all as one, and those of 
no great persistence can easily adopt sympathetic 
forms. 

The answer seemed vague and contradictory, 
and the question was asked : 

Q. — Have you anything further to say as to the 
so-called sub-conscious ego ? 

A. — Purblind scientists are at fault, but their 
inquiries are of use. Over on our plane we are 
not quite sure as to the philosophical answer to 
the question. 

Q. — When can you give us a more definite 
answer ? 

A. — Friday evening, after consultation. Good- 
night. 

Q. — Wait a little, I want to ask another question. 

A.— What ask ye ? 

Q. — Whom do you call purblind scientists ? 

A. — Whom do you call clear-sighted scientists ? 

Those who observe correctly, state clearly what 
they see and know, and do not indulge in assump- 
tions about matters of which they know nothing, I 
replied. 

A. — Name such. 

Q. — Darwin, Tyndall, Humboldt? 

A. — Darwin spiritually was decidedly purblind 
with all honesty of purpose. Tyndall is stub- 
bornly purblind, because of limitation of research. 
Humboldt was imprisoned in sense perceptions and 
necessarily purblind. 



156 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — Don't you sometimes characterize as pur- 
blind those who ask questions difficult to answer ? 

A. — Difficult to answer to those whose spiritual 
vision is confined to sense limitations. 

A DISCUSSION ON "WILL." 

One evening I particularly wished to have some 
special questions of my own answered, and since 
generally a preference was shown for questions 
propounded by Mr. U. I so stated at the beginning, 
when the reply came at once denying my request 
in this form : " Thou art near to us, but we most 
wish to reach Bhama." This name so strangely 
given to Mr. U. is used, however, only by certain 
writers, "Pharos," and one or two others whose 
names I do not care to state, because I personally 
demur at such names being given, and do not like 
to publish them as it would at least look like 
assumption on my part to those who do not yet 
understand that my own intelligence does not in 
the least guide this writing. On this occasion I 
yielded to the expressed wish of our unseen 
visitors and asked Mr. U. to question them. 

Q. — Can you explain human will, and wherein 
consists its greatest power ? 

A. — Will, spiritually defined, means that which 
you mortals name spirit power. 

Q. — What is the function or power of will ? 

A. — Shared with mortal concepts we cannot give 
you the explanation of the true power, or the real 
function of will. Will is a spiritual attribute, and 
only those on spiritual planes can understand its 
esoteric or bounded meaning. 

Q. — Is not the function of will the power to de- 
termine between two or more motives ? 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 157 

A. — Thou shalt soon perceive that will means 
mortal longings and desire. Spiritual answers to 
queries regarding will must be of most value when 
the physical desires of will are most surely elimi- 
nated. Will means only man's most intense desire; 
will is as strong physically as spiritually, and is 
only helpful when exerted most strongly in behalf 
of the higher longings of Spiritual man. 

Q. — Approaching a point from which two or 
more roads or paths diverge, does not the will 
determine which one the traveler takes ? 

A. — There comes in the question of the greater 
and lesser will — the mortal individual will formu- 
lates the path seemingly most direct, but the 
larger, more comprehensive will directs and guides 
the mind into ways all undreamed of, but the most 
helpful and in the end, the best. 

Q. — The will then determines the course, does it 
not? 

A. — There is but one supreme will — that of the 
All-of-Being — of which mortal man's will is but the 
faint reflex. Spiritually viewed, the mirror of a 
mirror wherein is reflected dimly the fiat of Eter- 
nal Being. 

Q. — It follows from this, does it not, that all 
thought and conduct of finite creatures are necessi- 
tated — determined by the universal will? 

A. — Necessitated, but not determined. Deter- 
mination must come from the finite which is left 
the veto power. Thou should'st understand that 
the infinite is mirrored in the finite, and man is 
measurably the arbiter of his own spiritual des- 
tiny. 

Q. — Is there then any veto power of the univer- 
sal will of which man's will is but the reflection? 

A. — No. There may seem to be to mortal mind, 
but the Soul of Being guides all — whether physical 
or spiritual. 



158 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — Then necessity, as Shelley says, is the 
mother of the world? 

A. — Soul of mortal birth ! Try to understand 
thy limitations — thy questions touch on mysteries 
impossible to be understood on your plane. The 
most straightforward answer to your common 
sense question would not be understood by you 
while you remain on the earth plane. Some les- 
sons are still reserved for scholars in the higher 
grades of Being. Don't arrogate to your plane all 
knowledge. 

Q. — But the doctrine of necessity follows logi- 
cally and unavoidably from your foregoing state- 
ment it appears to me? 

A. — Shall not your ideas of logic change with 
the wider knowledge of the laws of being which' 
you shall gain when you escape earthly limita- 
tions? 

Q. — That is doubtlessly true. But we are now 
very tired. Before we close will you make appoint- 
ment for another sitting, and at what date? 

A. — Sunday eve, Oct. the , the band will 

come. 

On the evening designated we sat again and Mr. 
U. resumed the previous discussion: 

Q. — How can Universal Will determine all action 
and yet individual will be free? 

A. — Shared with Universal Will the materialistic 
individual will must be sympneumatically in league 
with the Universal Will, and therefore must deter- 
mine its course according to the greater Universal 
Will. 

Q. — Is it true that the Universal Will, having a 
definite end, may leave open several courses 
thereto, and yet leave a choice to the individual 
mind which of these courses shall lead to the 
determined end? 

A. — Soul questions like unto these may not be 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 159 

answered by dogmatic assertions, but when spirit 
planes are changed, and larger areas of knowledge 
are opened, your pertinent queries shall be sensibly 
and spiritually answered. You are yet spiritually 
too much in bondage to sense to be specifically 
answered. 

Q. — Please state in your own way the best 
thought in regard to absolute determinism and free 
will? 

A. — Spiritually considered the best thought in 
regard to absolute determinism is that souls on 
your limited plane may not be able even to guess 
what the most advanced spiritual definition of 
absolute determinism — a most absurd terminology 
— may mean. Free will! How ridiculous in the 
light of sure knowledge only gained on high 
spiritual planes, will seem your material assump- 
tions in self-seeking phraseology in regard to free 
will and predestination. 

And with this statement they closed further dis- 
cussion of the question. 

MAN'S BEING. 

Q. — Was man created, or has he existed eter- 
nally ? 

A. — Created beings, only mean conditions of an 
entity. 

Q. — Can you give us an idea of what Being really 
is, in a short sentence ? 

A. — Being can't be explained in an aphorism. 
Longing to answer your sensible questions we are 
yet debarred by conditions which are not explain- 
able in your limited language. Man's being is not 
as you fancy some atom by itself, but parts of one 
great whole. 

Q. — Will you give us from your standpoint of 
knowledge a definition of three words, — "body," 
"soul," and "spirit?" First, "body." 



160 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — "Body," as we understand the word, means 
a temporary condition of what you name, "matter," 
necessary to development of soul. 

Q.— What, then, is "soul?" 

A. — "Soul" is the ego, — the individualization of 
an atom of the great unity, spirit. 

Q. — And how do you define "spirit?" 

A. — "Spirit" is the All of Being, — inexplicable 
to those in the body : you must come up higher to 
understand. 

Q. — What do you mean by the " atoms of unity?" 
How can there be such, when each atom is in itself 
a whole — a unity ? 

A. — E Pluribus Unum. 

An extremely appropriate answer, — "One 
formed of many." 

Q. — Is the universe in its ultimate nature monistic 
or dualistic ? 

A. — Triunism, not monism nor dualism, is the 
law of the Great Whole of whose greatness ye 
have, so far, no conception. 

Q. — Explain to us the trinity which makes the 
grand whole ? 

A. — Spirit — matter — and what you call motion. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 161 



CHAPTER X. 

SPIRIT TEACHINGS— [Continued.] 

NAMES. 

Although in the beginning of these writings the 
thought was often common-place, as of minds not 
possessing a markedly high degree of intelligence, 
and scores of names were written, many of them 
unknown to us, but common names ; yet after 
our insistence upon replies to questions which were 
impersonal, writing of a higher order was per- 
ceived to take the place of the common- place and 
promiscuous, and then curiously enough only a 
few names would be given ; but generally was 
shown a disposition to refuse to give names. As 
we were curious to know why, there resulted such 
answers as the following to our questions : 

Q. — We would like to know the names of those 
spirits now present? 

A — Names with us are of but little account and 
we grow to ignore them. 

Q. — -Why are names so often apparently for- 
gotten in receiving messages from those who ought 
to remember them? 

A. — Because the one thing necessary to spiritual 
development is ignoring of the ego — the self mind. 
The mind universal, the spirit of abnegation, the 
uprooting of vanity and selfishness is here most 
desired. 

Q. — Why are false names frequently given? 

A. — Love, the great Alchemist, amalgamates in 
its crucible all mind -matter worthy of perpetuation, 



162 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

and in this amalgamation many small in dividual ties 
are lost ; but ever when sought for diligently by 
blinded seekers for light, the semblance to indi- 
vidual relationship seems to melt into what seems 
false. 

Q. — Do family names and affinities persist? 

A. — Years gone by this question was seriously 
discussed among us and this conclusion was 
reached : that names with you were but the signs 
of tribal relations between those of mere blood- 
relationship ; here, blood relationship does not 
count, and spirit sympathies come always to be 
classified by new readings. 

At another sitting: 

Q. — Will our invisible friends write for us 
tonight? 

A. — We are ready to answer such inquiries as 
your common sense suggests should be asked, 
when you remember the limitations of our different 
conditions. 

Q. — Will you give your name? 

A. — It cannot be reasonably argued that a name 
emphasizes ideas. The one object of importance 
in our plane is the supremacy of ideas to mere 
superficial appearances. 

Again: 

Q. — Why are incorrect, false, or no answers at 
all given to some of our questions? 

A. — Brother, wisdom is not unmixed with us any 
more than with you. Undeveloped souls will con- 
tinue here to exhibit their shortcomings as they do 
when with you ; nor are such anarchistic spirits to 
be repressed at once here any more easily, than 
when in the flesh. We can only pity and teach. 

Q. — Who is it gives so good an answer? 

A. — One whose life was devoted to teaching — 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 163 

one who sympathizes, but whose name does not 
matter. 

Q. — What names known to us, of those who in 
the past were on earth, are accounted among your 
greatest thinkers? 

A. — Individualities are here overwhelmed in the 
All of Good. We don't care to give names to 
bolster up universal thinkers' quotients. 

Once the following question was put : 

Q. — Why do we not oftener get messages from 
the relatives we call for. 

A. — Bonds of sympathetic being are stronger 
than relationship over here. Many whose silence 
you wonder at were not in true accord with you, 
and so are not now in rapport with you — true lines 
of sympathy are drawn over here. 

B. F. U.— Who writes thus ? 

A. — Your friend, who will introduce himself 
when you come— who now enjoys your broad views 
even of this plane of which you know so little. 

Q. — What is your name ? 

A. — Please don't ask. 

B. F. U. — How came you to know of us ? 

A. — Why, my friend, here many times I am an 
interested listener to the questions asked of those 
who are given the opportunity to communicate to 
you through your mediumistic wife, and keenly 
enjoy your shrewd questionings of those who to 
you seem phantasms — spirits. Good-night. 

S. A. U. — I wish to ask if any of my relatives 
are present ? 

A. — Your relatives are those of all thinkers. 
"Who are my mother and my brethren ?" asked 
Christ — so may you and your soul mate. 

Q. — Can you give us a name by which to 
designate your plane ? 

A. — Sharon. 

Q._Why Sharon ? 



164 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — Sharon's name signifies peace and pleasant- 
ness. 

I am not aware that " Sharon " means anything 
particular — so don't know just what that answer 
signifies, if anything. 

"PHAROS." 

While on the topic of names, I may appropriately 
here explain more in detail about the very signifi- 
cant name Pharos given as that of the guide or 
control of the writing of these later messages. 
Although I had noted for sometime that the 
writing began to be more uniform, as well as of a 
higher trend of thought, I gave no especial heed 
to this until, as I have before mentioned, a friend 
whose experiences had been similar to mine and 
beginning about the same time, wrote me after we 
had exchanged specimens of the communications, 
that she fancied the same mind formulated both 
her automatic writing and mine, and, giving me 
the name said to be that of her "control," requested 
that at our next sitting I should ask the question, 
which I did, while not really believing that there 
was any one control in my own case. The reply 
was that our controls were altogether different 
minds. "Is there any one mind who does control 
the writing in my case ?" I asked. The reply was 
in the affirmative. "What is the name of that 
control ?" I asked. "Pharos " was written. 

It was then a word wholly unknown to me, and 
I wondered if there was really such a name or 
word. My surprise may be guessed when I found 
the word, and its signification given as "in general 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 165 

a lighthouse, beacon, watch-tower !" Could any 
name be more appropriate than that — for indeed 
the communications of my dear friend "Pharos" 
have thrown most illuminating rays of light upon 
many subjects for me. The encyclopedias con- 
sulted show that lighthouses were thus named 
from the first light-bearing tower built by Ptolemy 
Philadelphus, B. C. 300 on the Island of Pharos at 
the entrance of the port of Alexandria. It was 
built of white marble and was accounted one of 
the seven wonders of the world. 

Shortly after my discovery of the meaning of 
Pharos, when the name was again written I said : 
" O, yes — I remember — you mean you are in a 
sense a lighthouse to my understanding !" " Light 
tower " was then written as a correction. Later, 
I asked, ' ' What does Pharos stand for in your 
own view ?" The answer was " Souls of all who 
illumine — goodness, charity, love, spiritual desire, 
aspiration, work for others, forgetfulness of self, 
magnanimity, unworldliness — these are all Pharos, 
or light-bearers. 

At the time I first asked about the one in control, 
and received the ■ name "Pharos," I further 
questioned as to the control of my friend who 
inclining to theosophic theories fancied the name 
S. given, a pseudonym of a living thinker. 

Q. — Is S. a living person? 

A. — Pharos says yes. We are all more alive 
than when going through your terrestrial trial 
sphere. 

Q, — Will you please state something definite 
regarding S. ? Who was or is he? 



166 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A.- — S. was and is a thinker who believed while 
with such as you that there existed worlds or 
spheres of Thought — soul planes where Mind 
would dominate over Matter, and where solution 
could be found for the vexing problems of and 
concerning Being, propounded by the most astute 
thinkers of earth. 

Q. — But by what name was he known while 
here? 

A. — E. was the earth name of him who has taken 
here the name of S. 

Q. — What is the bond of sympathy between S. 
and our friend through whom he writes? 

A. — Starting point of spiritual philosophy 
touches Egypt. 

The friend spoken of is one much interested in 
archeology, and especially in Egyptian lore. 

It will be perceived that there is here a hint that 
in spirit spheres new names are adopted by those 
who have left sense relations behind them. This 
occurred at various times. 

SEX. 

At different sittings occasional hints were con- 
veyed in communications, of change in sex relations 
as the individual spirits evolved to higher spheres. 
Those communicating generally spoke of them- 
selves in the plural "we." 

One evening we asked: 

Q. — "What spirits are present? 
A. — Pharos, your soul friend. 
Q. — Of which sex is Pharos? 
A. — Both; spirit knows no sex. 
Q. — What attracts you toward us? 
A. — Bond of spirit born of sorrow. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 167 

At another time I said: " I don't know whether 
to speak of Pharos as 'he' or ' she.' Will you tell 
me which is proper?" 

As there are no sex conditions over on our plane, 
Pharos is "him" to you — "her" to B. F. Under- 
wood. 

Again we asked: 

How are the sexes divided on your plane? 

A. — Ghosts of soul-forces cannot claim sensual 
sex characteristics. 

Q. — Can they claim intellectual sex characteris- 
tics? 

A. — Sex does not dominate spiritual planes. Sex 
is a sense attribute. 

Q. — Is there any truth in the symptneumatic 
theory of Lawrence Oliphant and others that there 
was at first no male or female, but a biune person- 
ality? 

A. — Sex was not until deterioration began. 

Q. — Did that deterioration begin in spirit life or 
on this plane? 

A. — Best of all that was designed showed sym- 
pathy with the lower orders of animalistic forms, 
and the Power that projected being limited was 
balked of its purer aims. 

Q. — Can you give us an idea of what that Power 
was? Was it primordial or secondary? 

A. — Sense perceptions and sense languages may 
not explain to you what to us is, oh, how clear! 

At another time reference was made to some 
public meeting I had attended a day or two previ- 
ously, and I asked if the writer had been present 
there : 

A. — Round you were gathered an interested set 
of women and men spirits who were in accord with 
various speakers. 



168 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — You mention women and men spirits — then 
sex prevails in your sphere as in ours? 

A. — Yes, there is sex here, but not in the sense 
you understand. 

When I inquired as to their exact position as 
individual beings on their own plane, we received 
the following- 

A. — We are anxious to question you as to what 
you think of our claim that we are discarnate 
spirits who are yet not angels as your mind por- 
trays such ideals. Phase of life, such as you are 
undergoing, gives no answer to spiritual queries. 

MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 

Q. — What are so-called materializations? 

A. — Creations of mind and no real creatures. 
Physical man wants more substantial proof of 
continued existence than he has yet found, so 
spiritual man plays on his mind, and we manage 
to show him phantasms of his own being, which he 
takes for materializations. 

Q. — Can you, as is sometimes claimed, foretell 
future events? 

A. — When strong passion is at work on a wicked 
mind, we here are sometimes able to cognize and 
work out the natural outcome. So we take pains 
to impress on the minds accessible to us the com- 
ing horror, hoping thus they may be able to avert 
the catastrophe. 

Q. — Do ghosts of the murdered ever haunt the 
place where the event occurred? 

A. — Phantasms of those whose minds were so 
awfully shocked, reacting strongly on all other 
minds within their range of influence. 

Q. — Is what is called obsession a possible occur- 
rence? 

A. — We think it possible that some of our spirits 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 169 

— mischievous ones — might take advantage of a 
weak mortality to enter temporarily the evanescent 
frames of such, and so assert their power. 

Q. — Are some mediums, as they claim, able to 
cure disease by your aid? 

A. — Some are so constituted that they can be of 
physical usefulness. All souls are not cast in the 
same molds any more than bodies are. 

Q. — Can you explain to us how the intellect is 
developed in man ? Is it an evolution of lower 
forms of intellect in animals ? 

A. — Bear in mind that your too readily accepted 
theory of evolution takes on trust a great deal not 
borne out in fact. 

Q. — Are not instinct, conscience and intuition 
evolutions from lower types of mind ? 

A. — Animal instinct as you guess is the begin- 
ning of cod science, and so-called intuition; but 
instinct and intuition are in fact of spiritual birth. 

Q. — What is it fixes the limit of manifestation in 
different individuals ? 

A. — The limit is fixed by the yet misunderstood 
laws of life. Yonr ideas of evolution are not true. 

Q. — Is man an evolution in body and mind from 
lower forms of life ? 

A. — Won't you state precisely your question ? 
The great mistake you make is classing man with 
lower forms of being. 

Q. — But the law of evolution seems unmistaka- 
bly to show that such is the fact ? 

A. — Yes, in bodily structure, but intellectual 
and ethical ideas cannot be traced from brute to 
man. There is where there is no link, there is 
where soul begins direct from All-Being. 

Q. — What is the dividing line between brute and 
man ? 

A. — The knowledge of where ' ought,' and 'ought 
not ' begins and ends. 



170 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — But have not animals ideas in regard to 
right and wrong ? Dogs for instance ? 

A. — No ideas — they have knowledge through 
experience of the things which react in hurtf ulness 
when persisted in. 

Q, — But does not such knowledge indicate in a 
degree moral ideas ? 

A. — A concept, but not a moral force. 

Q. — Whence do man's moral ideas come, save 
from evolution ? 

A. — From the source of All Being (of which you 
can have only the faintest concept) but thought 
not an evolution from animal to man, is still so 
pervasive as to have its shadow-like reflex images 
in the lower forms, as in animals, for instance. 

Q. — Are our dominant sensuous appetites, feel- 
ings, or desires much changed by what we name 
death. 

A. — Bred clandestinely within your sensuous 
consciousness, spirit still asserts its power, and 
where recognized may be able here to overcome 
without much warfare the dominant -sense appe- 
tites. 

Q. — Does character, that is, moral and spiritual 
development, determine status after transition and 
not orthordox or heterodox belief ? 

A. — Say we that character, that is, the real 
spiritual being, is the real part of spirit. Orthodox 
and heterdox are not known in our estimates. 

B. F. U. — Lately when at Joliet I attended the 
Sunday service at the State's prison. It seemed to 
me that many of the faces of the criminals bore 
traces of goodness and intelligence. From your 
point of view are they much worse than other 
men? 

A. — Souls are they — some here in clearer, purer 
light take precedence of mortals who now think 
themselves far superior in moral worth. 

Q. — Why are such stirrers-up of evil among 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS. 171 

their fellows as X and Y allowed to exist and go 
on doing harm to so many innocent persons for so 
long a time ? 

A. — Yonder comes a clairvoyant spirit who will 
give a hint as to the all- pervading Spark of vital 
power which keeps such as these who have no 
higher ideal, in physical existence. 

Q. — What is the spirit's explanation ? 

A. — Splendid germs are planted whose outcome 
by reason of poor soil filled with all sorts of mor- 
tal barrenness and spiritual dearth, sends forth 
such persistent roots of evil as those of whom ye 
speak. 

Q. — Are your planes bound by any code of law, 
written or understood, as ours is ? 

A. — Bound by very laws of laws. We here 
better understand than do those on your limited 
sphere why cause must precede — must forever 
bind effects. Why law must perceive events, and 
cause every seemingly trivial occurrence to be- 
come but a link in the onward chain of determined 
necessity for the good of the whole of humanity. 

Q. — What was the relation between Kant and 
Hume ? 

A. — Kant was aroused from his scholastic com- 
monplaceness by the discovery that Truth could 
not be driven in ruts nor be formalized ; so he was 
driven to test formulas by reason. Ideas of so 
called holy men put to test by Hume's logical 
powers, showed so spurious in the light of common 
sense, that Kant was forced with many other 
thinkers to hew out a new path for his own 
awakened thought. His thought was nearer truth 
than Hume's. 

Q — Is not thought a process of conscious reali- 
zation ? 

A. — Thought is a word of more value than you 
on your plane have yet perceived. Sense believes 



172 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

in sense perceptions, but to spirit, thought means 
the essence of man's egoism. 

Q. — Why is rhythmic thought expression more 
common in spirit spheres than with us ? 

A. — Because harmonious with the laws of Being 
are all spirits who evolve spiritually toward the 
Truth of existence, and therefore the trend of 
thought in such spirits is toward rhythmic ex- 
pression. And spirit, spheres are spheres of har- 
mony, ever tending to blessed rhythmic expres- 
sion. 

Q. — As we evolve spiritually does our nature 
outgrow the beastly warring tendency ? 

A. — Crucifixion of animal nature is the test of 
spiritual evolution and growth toward the light. 

Q.^Is it not true that men may outgrow^ the 
more brute-like qualities, and yet be hard and 
harsh, mercenary and esthetically selfish ? 

A. — Surely you do not understand what animal- 
ism means, or spirituality. To forego merely 
beastly enjoyments, does not by any means show 
the power of spiritual progress. The innate spir- 
itual man shown through selfish yet esthetic tests, 
only panders to the animalism which is yet ram- 
pant within, 



FRIENDLY MESSAGES. 173 



CHAPTER XI. 

GOOD-NIGHT AND FRIENDLY MESSAGES. 

Nearly always our sittings have been held rather 
late in the evening after we had put away work for 
the day, and when we were tired the communica- 
tions were closed either by intimation from one of 
us, or suddenly by the intelligence writing. But 
there were usually a few words of good-night greet- 
ing exchanged as among friends when parting, and 
these were often so unique that I have thought it 
might be of interest to give some specimens in 
prose and rhyme. Occasionally I asked if they 
would not give us a versified thought before leav- 
ing; the following is in answer to such request: 

Use with care thy spirit gifts, 
Clothe our thoughts in kindly words: 

Bear in mind that what uplifts 
Thoughts to planes above the herds 

Of common souls in farthest ken, . 

Must be the spirit's nearest goal 
Of doing good by us to men, 

Because of Spirit love of Soul. 

And thus we give a sweet good-night 

To you and Bhama, consorts dear, 
Whose spirits join us with delight 

And help us on with thoughts of cheer. 

Once when we remarked that it was late, but if 
they had anything further to say we would receive 
it, this was written : 

A. — Ghosts are going — and sense phantasms had 
better go to bed. 



174 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

It struck me as a bit of retaliatory sarcasm to 
have them call us sense phantasms. 

Another time the signal for closing came in this 
fashion : 

Pharos sees Bhama's earth -body needs rest — 
good- night. 

Again : 

Ghosts are now nearly ready to say good-night. 

Another rhymed good- night ran thus: 

Creatures of phantasmal gourds 
In whom we spirits find accords 
Within our deepest soul of souls, 
Though far from knowledge of our goals ; 

To you we gladly greetings send 
Sparked with moral purpose— end 
Of all things spiritual, which you 
May not yet understand— adieu. 

The expression "phantasmal gourds" puzzled 
me, but apparently it was meant as a reflection upon 
the ephemeral nature of all earthly things. 

Sometimes when Mr. U. too closely criticized 
some vague statement, the writers seemed to feel 
hurt, and on one such occasion closed the com- 
munication for that evening with the following: 

We wish to say to B. F. U. that he had better 
sheathe his weapons, and we will part as friends — 
Bonds of friendship are strong on spiritual planes . 

Still they did not hesitate on their part to speak 
of us as beings of less intelligence than themselves, 
and this feeling of superiority was frequently 
shown in their good-night words, of which I give 
here some instances: 



FRIENDLY MESSAGES. 175 

Good-night, dear children of the Spirit, who yet 
know so little what ye are ! 

Good-night, poor mortals. 

Good-night, spirit friends, still at school. 

Good-night, dear children, who are to be brought 
yet nearer to our plane. 

Good-night, and when our sphere you reach, 
How strange will seem the lore we teach, 
But glad we'll strive to show the way 
To realms of universal day. 

Again there would sometimes be shown a sense 
of wounded sensibilities, as at the close of an even- 
ing when Mr. U. had shown strong doubt of some 
assumptions on their part, their good-night was as 
follows, when I asked if they had not a special 
word for him in verse ere closing : 

Bhama's will so sternly holds 
Aloof from love, our spirit goals, 
That we whose will as his is strong 
Care not to question him through song. 

When with ours his will shall blend ; 
When philosophic lore shall tend 
To teach him spirit wisdom, then 
Our lines of friendly thought and ken 

Shall show him where we both are right- 
Shall teach him spirits may not fight- 
Though argument with reason run, 
For earthly knowledge here's outdone. 

More frequently, however, they left us with 
some very loving message of adieu such as the 
following : 

End of this seance — good-night ; in the future 
we shall be nearer and more intimate. Receive 
our earnest good wishes. 

Blessings, dear one, and sweet sleep. 

Our good-night burns with sympathetic love. 



176 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Good-night, and may all good wait upon you, 
dear children of truth. 

Good-night, comrades and co-workers. 
Good-night, dear ones. 

Sweet shall be thy sleep and sound 
Guardian spirits passing round 
Loving thoughts on thee bestow 
Whene'er they come, where'er they go. 

And again : 

Kestf ul shall your slumbers be, 
Dreams nor cares shall torture thee, 
Life's hard tasks stand still awhile, 
And spirits sweet all care beguile. 

The foregoing was written at a time when 
troubled by various matters I had been unable for 
several nights to obtain any refreshing sleep, and 
as my worries were concerning persons at a 
distance from whom I could not hear immediately, 
when I did fall asleep I was haunted by distressing 
dreams about them ; but on the night this was 
written I fell into an undisturbed, restful, dream- 
less sleep which lasted until morning. " Sugges- 
tion " — some will say. Well, perhaps. 

There was ofttimes a deeper meaning than will 
appear to the reader as in the three following : 

Shall not we, whose aim is one, 
Gladly meet when sorrow's done. 
Grasp with warmth of spirit-love 
Hands and hearts which now we move ? 

Show you that in spirit spheres 

Bonds of soul the spirit cheers ; 

And while you in earthly rounds 

Seek to fathom spirit bounds, 

Your search, your tests, your anxious thought, 

By spirit powers are still enwrought. 



FRIENDLY MESSAGES. 177 

Souls in true rapport here meet 
Holding greeting short and sweet 
Of spirits sympathetic given, 
Communion betwixt earth and heaven. 
We poet souls bring tender greeting 
To those on earth's strange area meeting. 

A characteristic good-night word is the follow- 
ing showing a sense of superior wisdom in the 
writers to us whom they addressed : 

Shall not our prescience disclose 
That spirit more than mortal knows, 
More than you've gained of knowledge yet 
Is beyond your plane so far offset 
From ours where order reigns supreme, 
And where more clear we spirits glean 
From further spheres reflected bright 
Through larger wisdom gives us light 
Which on earth-plane is all unknown, 
Yet to earth-souls some time'll be shown. 
Be patient, spirits yet at school, 
And know that Law is more than rule 
Within the spheres ye dimly guess 
As being within man's knowingness ! 
Farewell, dear children, for the nonce, 
For from you now we go at once. 

At another time when Mr. U. said he was tired, 
and had still other work to attend to, I asked for a 
good night word when these lines were swiftly- 
written: 

Bhama's warning words we hear, 

So good night to you, our dear 

And anxious friend, who soon shall gain 

Advance in friendship with our train. 

Good night to you, with kindest thought, 
Soon further spirit lore deep fraught 
With spirit love to you'll be brought. 

Other ways of bidding us good night were these: 

Good night — and sometime all these strange 
experiences will be understood. 

Good night, and ever may we all grow in knowl- 
edge and goodness; so say we — all of us. 



178 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Sometimes there was evinced an unwillingness 
to close the communication when we announced 
that we desired to do so, and one wrote, 

I go, but will expatiate fully, later. 

And another, 

Ever you make it hard to say good night. 

Late one night I was very tired, and when Mr. 
U. proposed following up certain statements writ- 
ten with other questions, I told him I was too tired 
to continue, but as he already had asked a question 
I held the pen in position, we both expecting the 
reply to the question when the pen began to move 
— instead was written : 

You said, yawning, that you could do no more — 
we could not think of attempting to overwork you. 

I doubtless did yawn as I spoke, but without 
conscious thought of it. The question remained 
unanswered that evening. 

I give here one of the longer poems with which 
our sittings were occasionally concluded : 

SPIRIT VS. MATTER. 

Shall not spirits on our plane 

Show to those within earth's fane 

Of Static law, how far below 

Our lines of Rightness are the show 

Earth's follies take within sense-bounds 

Which Atomistic worlds surrounds. 

Yet Pupils dear, we long to say- 
Some ardent loving word which they 
Who've gained by strength of love and will 
Our higher Sphere where sense is nil, 
May hope to send some helpful thoughts 
To those who count us spirits— naughts 



FRIENDLY MESSAGES. 179 

Save phantasms of the earthly brain, 
Which only serves us to obtain 
From lower forms of spirit minds 
Some hints of gyves by which earth binds 
Such souls as yours from heavenly lore ; 
And makes us seem to you a bore. 

Bhama says this is not so, 
But has not he essayed to show 
That our thought further cannot go 
Than his sense-bounded queries trend 
With their materialistic bend? 

Show we to him how puerile, small, 
Appears to us his questions all, 
When asked within the bounded sphere 
Of Matter, which he thinks, we fear — 
The utmost bounds of wider thought 
Which Spirit into order brought 

By force of soul-power deeply fraught 
With Spirit— which is All, or Naught \ 

Let him say now — of Spirit taught — 

Is Spirit best of all that's wrought? 
Or shall the battle yet be fought 
Between Spirit All, or Matter Naught? 

Those who will in spite of all evidence to the 
contrary still contend that these often fault-finding 
hurriedly written verses are the outcome of my 
own intelligence, or of Mr. Underwood's and my 
own combined, must at least concede that it is 
certainly a strange, and as yet unexplained exhibi- 
tion of human brain work, so coherently to combat 
its own recognized thought without conscious 
volition of the individual who is otherwise in an 
entirely normal every-day mood, but whose hand 
writes the words which, until they are written, 
have not been in the conscious mind of the writing 
hand's owner. 

No one realizes more fully than I do that to all 
those who have had no personal experience in 



180 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

securing rational communications from the Unseen, 
these we have given may seem fantastic and 
imaginative, but . we have received so many- 
messages of the most sensible and friendly sort 
from this source, that for myself I can no longer 
doubt the reality of these unseen individualities. 

Doubtless were they able to give us true pictures 
of a life of which our present sense conditions 
afford no parallel, we would doubt the stories and 
their truth. Our communicants well understand 
this, as such expressions as the following show: 

When we are confronted by such queries from 
thinkers on your lower plane we know not what to 
say, for Law is Law, and we may not answer your 
questions. 

And again : 

Wouldst thou not affirm that vagueness in spirit- 
ual communication argues as ghostly tales as old 
stories of witchcraft did, and you and Bhama, rep- 
resentatives of the scientific spirit of the age, 
refuse to consider spirit vouchers which your com- 
mon but material sense thinks of no importance. 

Often the sittings opened with some kind mes- 
sage such as : 

Love you know, is the alchemist's test. 

Ask of us questions born of love of humanity. 

Charged with lovingness are the words we are 
told to send to you and other toilers. 

Souls here are always in sympathetic accord 
with all who are in sympathy with our planes, 
whatever the difference between our views on the 
subjects discussed. 

When after a long silence of some months I said 



. FRIENDLY MESSAGES. 181 

I had feared I was forgotten by them, but I hoped 
they were still friendly in spite of my remissness 
by reason of earthly cares — then at once came this : 

Surely, dear child, we will willingly sparkle 
over your drear horizon giving you words of 
cheer and counsel. 

Once they accused us of " sour words, " toward 
them ; but when we disclaimed any intention of 
being so understood, that while we spoke unthink- 
ingly perhaps, we did not feel " sour" but cordial 
and kindly, this answer was returned. 

Pharos says to his friends that better than 
Bhania knows or Sara thinks, we spirits under- 
stand mortal moods, therefore there is no hard 
feeling, but Pharos states that spirit language 
must be accepted as symbolizing all thought mes- 
sages between your plane and ours. Pharos recip- 
rocates your cordial spirit, but would suggest a less 
and less martial tone. All here have the greatest 
respect for our accepted brother and sister but we 
wish you were less controversial. 

At another time when I myself had deprecated 
what I thought too great asperity and doubtfulness 
of Mr. U.'s questions, this reply, unexpected by 
me, was made • 

You are assured thatB. F. U.'s strongly squared, 
judicial and not sympathetic spirit seems worthy 
of careful answering by those who are on this 
plane. 

Once when it was written that good work could 
be done in ' ' the spiritual enlightenment of souls of 
mortals mourning their selfish sloughs, and charita- 
ble love of the weakly doubtful," I asked: 



j 



182 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Q. — What do you mean by charitable love — are 
not love and charity synonymous? 

A. — Spirit love is even more charitable than 
woman's earthly compassion. 

I will close this chapter with another bit of their 
friendly verse: 

Shall we whose love for you is shown 

With forceful words and signs, which some 

May think are neither sense nor wit, 

Yet which both wit, and sense may hit 

By ways of wit and also sense, 

Of which there is no evidence 

Save through our sympathetic friend, 

Whose mediumship doth somehow trend 

With our deeper spirit life; 

Which spurs us on with friendly strife 

To give from spirit spheres the sign 

Of loving life, the seal divine 

Which the All-Loving shows to those 

Whose Life and Will in love repose. 




CHARACTERISTIC COMMUNICATIONS. 183 



CHAPTER XII. 

CHARACTERISTIC COMMUNICATIONS. 

Although most of the communications written 
through my hand are of an impersonal stamp, we 
not infrequently receive messages purporting to 
come from those of whom we had heard or read 
or whom we had personally known when in earth 
form. Most of these messages were written in 
Pharos' handwriting, yet the expression of thought 
seemed in keeping with the individuality repre- 
sented so far as we understood. In this Chapter I 
reproduce some of these characteristic messages. 

WORDSWORTH. 
One evening we opened the sitting by asking, 

Q. — What spirit will now communicate with us ? 

A. ^Wordsworth. 

Q, — Ah, yes — you were the poet-prophet of 
spiritual life. Tell us what gave you the hope of 
immortality while yet on our plane ? 

A. — Laugh as you may, the Soul of the Universe 
spoke to mine — a Spark of it — and gave me those 
intimations which helped me to bear with life's 
woes and absurdities ; and through me many 
blinded mortals have caught glimpses of the Great 
Hope of poor suffering Humanity, that the Soul is 
all — but needs earth's discipline. 

Q. — Upon what premises did you predicate your 
" Intimations of Immortality ?" 

A. — Your words of disputation jar upon me 
[This referred to a momentary discussion between 



184 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Mr. U. and myself] but nevertheless I will answer. 
I based my hope — I received my intimations — I 
founded my expectations of immortal life upon the 
countless transformations seen in Nature, of pass- 
ing changes from one phase of existence to 
another. The chrysalis and butterfly, the acorn 
and oak, the embryo forms of life preceding 
humanity. 

S. A. U. — That is beautifully expressed — I trust 
you do not feel aggreived by my expressed annoy- 
ance when your name was written, for I was 
doubtful as to your identity. 

A. — Born of woman, and free from earth's con- 
tentious phase, I understand the passing irritability 
and have nothing to forgive; good night, and 
sometime we may come still nearer. 

SWEDENBORG. 

Several times when questioned on matters of 
spiritual philosophy, the name .Swedenborg was 
given as the one who answered. As I have previ- 
ously explained I personally do not believe in the 
identity of such great characters with the intelli- 
gence replying, but I give a few illustrations of 
such names being written as true specimens of the 
communications coming to one who had no faith in 
their genuineness. 

On one occasion Mr. U. asked : 

Q. — What was the origin of organic forms? 

A. — One will answer that question who gave 
consideration to such subjects on your sphere as 
well as here — coming soon. 

After a short pause was written: 

A. — Swedenborg — Emanuel Swedenborg will 
answer. Matter united with Spirit was at one 



CHARACTERISTIC COMMUNICATIONS. 185 

time supposed to combine with Powers charged 
with conditional energies which set in force 
mortal forms. 

Q. — What do yon mean by " Powers?" 

A. — Powers is a word which we are obliged to 
use for something not on your plane — matter at 
rest — Man's explanation must necessarily be lim- 
ited by his knowledge, by his sense perceptions. 
We can't explain to you questions beyond your 
power to understand. 

Q. — When shall we if ever, be able to under- 
stand these things as they are in reality ? 

A. — When you become pure spirit devoid of 
man's matter. 

Q. — What is meant by pure spirit ? 

A. — One phase of the Universal Will. 

Q. — Can you explain to us the difference between 
soul and spirit as you use the terms ? 

A. — Soul is created, and spirit is universal. 

Q. — Are all souls of the same kind — emanating 
from the same source ? 

A. — All souls are not on the same level. 

Q. — Do the souls of animals survive and change 
as you say we mortals do ? 

A. — Some animals exist on some spirit planes. 

Q. — Could you name some of these ? 

A. — Those most attached to man, such as the 
dog, the horse, and birds which are capable of 
attachment to personalities. 

Q. — Is it right to kill animals and use their 
flesh for food ? 

A. — Around man are many conditions of which 
he is not cognizant. — Matter must forever change 
form and it matters little in what direction it dis- 
sipates. 

This answer struck me as very curious — and I 
thought the same reply could well be made in favor 



186 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

of cannibalism. I give it as received and do 
not endorse its soundness or its source. 

CAROLINE FOX. 

I was familiar with, and some two or three years 
previously had read with great interest, the chatty 
"Memoirs of Caroline Fox" the intimate friend 
of John Stuart Mill and his sisters, and of many of 
the literary and scientific set of that generation, 
but when one evening "Yonder comes Caroline" 
was written I ran over in my mind the list of all the 
Caroline's I was or had been acquainted with, 
without once thinking of her, until the name 
"Caroline Fox " was written out in full in response 
to my query- Even then I was for the moment 
confused as to where I had heard the name, but 
soon recalled her book and the pleasure it had 
given me when reading it, and said something to 
that effect. 

A. — Doubtless she will be glad to meet a friend 
who is in sympathy with her friendships. 

S. A. U. — Will Caroline Fox say a word in regard 
to her friend whom I greatly admire, John Stuart 
Mill? 

A. — John Mill sought to advance the social state 
of women because he was un chevalier sans puer et 
sans reproche. 

Q. — Do you meet the Carlyles — Thomas and 
Jeannie — on your present plane. 

A. — Sometimes, but their sphere seems not 
exactly what I expected it to be. 

Q. — Are you as happy in your present state as 
when on our plane? 

A. — Told as a wonderful dream of poet or seer I 
should have thought this phase of existence a 
phantasm too beautiful for realization, but living 



CHARACTERISTIC COMMUNICATIONS. 187 

this new sweet helpful life, Lam constantly wonder- 
ing if I am a real part of this sphere. 

Q. — What constitutes your highest pleasure 
there? 

A. — The society of loving and freed spirits. 

Q. — You formed many beautiful friendships 
here — Do you find new friends there? 

A. — Doubtless my friends on earth were sources 
of much real pleasure and help, but the friends on 
this plane are fountains of everlasting joy. 

Q. — In what way do you make the acquaintance 
of these new friends ? 

A. — All who are in sympathy here come to know 
each other as members of the same spirit Clan. 

B. F. U. — What should you, who knew John 
Stuart Mill so intimately, particularize as the 
weakest point in his strong character ? 

A. — The apparent weak point in that most 
lovely character, that wonderful and sincere soul, 
was his lack of human sympathy with the individ- 
ual. The race he could partly understand, but the 
individual was to him a mystery. 

Q. — Who is now your most intimate friend ? 

A. — Brother Barclay. 

Q. — Who are nearest and dearest among your 
women friends ? 

A. — Some whom I did not emphasize in my diary 
and memoirs, but who really were as they now are 
my nearest and dearest friends. 

Q. — What was your real opinion in regard to 
Mrs. Carlyle's character ? 

A. — Jeannie Welch Carlyle — But I am not at 
liberty to say to you all I might if we had met in 
the flesh ! 

And here communication stopped at once and 
nothing further received that sitting. 



y 



188 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

MALTHUS. 

The following communication came to me wholly 
unexpected and it deals with a subject in which I 
have never been particularly interested, and 
indeed have rather avoided since there are so 
many conflicting opinions thereon by those who 
have made the population question a study. It 
was therefore the more surprising to me to receive 
such a communication through my hand. 

One evening when Mr. U. across the table from 
me was deeply engrossed by something he was 
reading, I took the pen and asked who, if any, 
would communicate with' us. Without hesitation 
the pen began to move : 

A. — Soul of one who while on earth was in most 
true accord with B. F. U. 's status, will now most 
gladly nolle- prosse whatever may be thought 
against him by you. 

Remember that so far I had not the faintest idea 
as to what name would be given. There had been 
no reading or conversation leading in the direction 
of this writer's thought during the day, and from 
aversion to the subject I rather disliked the author 
and had never read his works. This preface 
indicated a knowledge of my distaste. 

Q. — Whose soul is that ? 

A. — Malthus ! [written in a bold hand.] 

I here called Mr. U.'s attention, reading the 
question and answer aloud to him, but he being 
still only half attentive, thought I said ' 'Lamarck" 
instead of "Malthus" and asked in consequence : 



CHARACTERISTIC COMMUNICATIONS. 189 

Q. — What was the most essential point in your 
theory ? 

A. — The survival of the fittest, which was the 
essential core of my attempt to say what was 
possible as to stirpiculture. 

B. F. U. — That is not true. Lamarck's theory 
was that the appetencies, wants and desires 
determine organic structure, causing even the 
distinction between species. 

S. A. U.^Did Malthus teach that? I never 
understood so ? 

B. F. U. — Malthus ? I thought the name given 
was Lamarck ? 

A. — Shall now consider your question — a wrong 
conception ! 

B. F. U.— If this is Malthus who writes, I will 
ask if there is not considerable misapprehension 
of the doctrine called Malthusianism ? 

A. — The extreme views of honest souls take my 
masterly standpoint of storage of generative power 
for emasculation. There is a point beyond mere 
increase of individual being which affects all man- 
kind. 

B. F. U. — What was the lesson which you were 
most desirous to inculcate ? 

A. — Sound sense as regard population. 

B F. U. — Do you still hold your published views 
on the question of population to be correct ? Or 
do you now see a different solution to your ques- 
tion ? 

A. — Yes. Now I understand that mortal births 
are not at command of those whose acts call ener- 
gies — momentarily however — into action and beget 
mortal life when ordained by superior power. 

B. F. U. — Can mankind control population ? 

A. — Somewhat, but not wholly. 

B. F. U. — Is the creative energy of mortals a 
power which on the whole works for good ? 

A. — Most surely, for generative force derives its 



190 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

stimulus from the same source which ' glows in the 
stars and blossoms in the trees, ' and furnishes the 
electric light called genius. 

B. F. U. — Are you now, with superior intelli- 
gence to that which you possessed when here, in 
accord with Darwin's theory as to the origin of 
species ? 

A. — Some of Charles Darwin's theories are as 
founclationless as those of thousands of other 
idealists. 

B. F. U. — What was Darwin's greatest limita- 
tion ? 

A. — His dependence upon his sense perception. 

B. F. U. — What was the marked limitation of his 
position on the origin of species ? 

A. — Ah, yes. We now catch your meaning ! 
Darwin himself recognizes now, that his views were 
based mainly on the lower side of man's being ; 
that he had no conception of his larger dual 
nature, but he also understands that his limita- 
tions were absolutely necessary to correct views 
on the subjects he was studying and wiiich he now 
understands were so necessary to man's enlighten- 
ment. 

DARWIN. 

The foregoing statement substantially agrees 
with a communication given on another occasion 
purporting to be from Darwin, which began in this 
way : 

Yonder comes one who will do you honor by his 
desire to speak with you. 

Q. — Will he give his name ? 

A. — Charles Darwin. 

Q. — If this is Mr. Darwin we will be glad to 
have an expression of his ideas in regard to his 
new state of existence ? 

A. — When on earth I worked conscientiously in 
certain grooves. I was often puzzled, but being of 



CHARACTERISTIC COMMUNICATIONS. 191 

a logical turn of mind was obliged to accept such 
conclusions as my experiments led to. I did not 
then understand the limitations of sense percep- 
tions and sometimes I was greatly mistaken. I 
was not then aware of the reasonableness of 
another stage of being. I have, since changing 
my form, recognized my onesidedness, but now 
perceive that in my then conditional state I was 
not to blame for the false conclusions I made from 
mortal premises. We here feel rejoiced that we 
can return through congenial mediumship. — 
Charles Darwin. 

ST. CATHERINE. 

Very many unique and unexpected communica- 
tions have been received of which I can here give 
but one or two short samples. Once, after several 
incoherent words had been essayed, "Woman 
wants to say a word," was written in a clear, bold 
hand. ' ' I am always glad to hear from any 
woman," I answered, and asked: 

Q. — Who is it will now write? 
A. — Catherine. 

I named all the Catherines which occurred 
to my mind, but no response was made. Finally 
" Saint" was written. 

Q. — Is it St. Catherine? If so, will you not give 
some expression of your ideas in regard to our 
sex? 

A. — Woman's highest work means self-abnega- 
tion. 

I protested against this as savoring too much of 
former masculine ideas, and asked: 

Q. — Why should women more than men be self- 
sacrificing? 



192 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — Please remember that I, as a virgin worker, 
did not study man's requirements. 

Q. — But what do you consider the very highest 
thing for all humanity? 

A. — Love. 

This written in large letters. 

Q. — What is your definition of love? 
A. — Love is joy in universal uplifting and soul- 
progress. 

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. 

One signing the name "Thomas Aquinas," 
when asked what characteristic thought could be 
written, gave this: 

A. — Bourgeoned with happy thoughts, we have 
not words wherewith to utter them in your bounded 
language. 

I said I did not believe that the writer was 
Thomas Aquinas, as there was no reason what- 
ever why that early saint should be drawn to me. 

A. — Saintly souls are ever at one with the pure 
aspirations of the most modest spiritual thinker. 
Kindred souls shall ever be in true sympathy; and 
on your plane — oh, so limited! — much has to be 
taken on trust, for, with all your earthly wisdom, 
you are forced to concede that faith is an absolute 
necessity. By and by you will understand why. 

The singular thing in this communication is the 
use of the word " bourgeoned, " — a word which to 
my conscious knowledge I had never seen before, 
and which, when written, I doubted there being 
such a word. However, on consulting the diction- 
ary, I found that "bourgeon" meant to "shoot 
into branches," to blossom. I could then see the 
appropriateness of its use. 



CHARACTERISTIC COMMUNICATIONS. 193 

LINCOLN. 

The name of Abraham Lincoln having been 
written, the question was asked: 

Q. — Do you meet in your new sphere those who 
were the cause of your death, and if so, with your 
increased knowledge, do you feel anger or aversion 
toward them ? 

A. — Zones of spiritual life are so overlapped and 
intermixed that those of us who went out from 
your sphere through blind and bloody ways are so 
much aware of the sense barriers which shut off 
the perception of the boundaries between spirit 
and flesh, that no vengeful feeling can remain even 
in individual cases. 

Q. — Then you bear such persons no ill-will? 

A. — Brothers are we all, even Booths. 

Q . — If this is Lincoln who replies, tell us in 
what light you now view Booth's act/. 

A. — John Wilkes Booth was the ordained man 
whose maddened brain was used to emphasize the 
divine way to martyrdom for the sake of the work 
of life's progress. 

Q. — We are then to understand that you are now 
from your higher point of view content with the 
manner of your death. 

A. — You ask am I content that my life went out 
as it did. You want to get evidence as to the 
higher wisdom evolved in my painful going out? 

Q. — Yes, we wish you to state your thought in 
regard to it. 

A. — Warfare of all kinds marks life's progress. 
Soldiers of life are as surely bound to eternal law 
as earthly soldiers are bound by military discipline. 

Q.— Have you yet personally met John Wilkes 
Booth? 

A. — Soul paths diverge, as sense paths do. 



194 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



ROBERT CHAMBERS. 



One evening among many interrupted communi- 
cations the name " Robert Chambers " was abruptly 
written, 

Q. — Are you the Robert Chambers supposed to 
be the author of 'Vestiges of Creation?' 

A. — When I wrote that work the world was not 
in accord with truth, and I had to consider with 
Scotch caution the effect of my investigations on 
the pecuniary prospects of Chambers Brothers. 

Q. — Do you still think the work a reliable one? 

A. — Crammed with errors. I was sincere when 
I wrote it, but since my change of condition I wish 
I had' not written before — gone. 

AN ARMY FRIEND. 

In the following communication, which is given 
mainly as a specimen of some of the earlier unsat- 
isfactory sort, the strange thing is that while it 
was being written there occurred to both Mr. U. 
and myself many points which could have been 
written more pertinent in regard to the friend of 
Mr. U. who purported to write, than what was 
given. The name was that of a comrade of Mr. 
U. 's early manhood who enlisted with him in the 
same company at the outbreak of the war and was 
taken prisoner with him at the battle of Ball's 
Bluff. The friendship was renewed in after years. 
Why the knowledge possessed by Mr. U. and my- 
self of certain particulars of more interest than 
what is here given w T as not made use of, if our 
minds could influence this writing, is a question 
for those who contend that this writing emanates 
from the conscious or unconscious knowledge of 



CHARACTERISTIC COMMUNICATIONS. 195 

the person who holds the pen, or by telepathy 
transmitted from the brain of persons present. 
That the one whose name was signed died finally 
from the effects of a bullet in the brain from an 
old wound received in the: war, might, however, 
explain to those who accept the spiritualistic 
hypothesis, the reason of loss of memory in regard 
to points which we expected would be touched 
upon. The communication began unexpectedly 
thus : 

Dear Frank ! How glad I am to meet you this 
way. M. D. name signed in full. 

B. F. U. — If this is M. will he recall some inci- 
dent known to us both by which I may recognize 
him ? 

A. — Shall I tell of our imprisonment, or shall I 
state what occurred later ? 

B. F. U. — Whichever you please. 

A. — Return to our battle experiences. Wasn't I 
surprised to know you were a prisoner like myself 
in Richmond ? It made life a little brighter to 
know you shared my trouble. 

B. F. U. — What incidents of our prison life can 
you recall ? 

A. — Round us were many men whose thoughts 
were in direct opposition to yours and mine, yet 
they gave us renewed hope for humanity because 
of their lofty aims through poor ideals. 

B. F. U. — That is true, but rather vague. Can 
you not recall something more definite ? 

A. — Frank, don't you remember what I said to 
you one day about the possibilities of existence 
after death ? 

B. F. U. — It may be that you did, but I don't 
remember that clearly. Can't you remember some 
other matter ? 

I had never heard Mr. U. refer to any such con- 



196 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

versation between himself and this friend whom I 
never personally met. 

A. — Yes, but I want to say that I was then much 
in the dark. Today I know so much more that I 
long to satisfy my old friend that existence is a 
more wonderful thing than either of us thought, 
but I know you are in a measure prepared for the 
sweet change, but I wasn't. But I am the more 
content. 

B. F. U. — Now if this were really M. D. he 
would, I feel sure, give me more definite answers. 
Tell me some striking incident of our prison life. 

A. — Sharing our clothes. 

B. F. U. — That is true. I do remember your 
kindness to me when you had some under clothing 
sent you by friends which you generously shared 
with me when my own was worn out and soiled. 

This was not the prison incident Mr. U. had in 
mind at the moment, and if he had ever related it 
to me, it had passed out of my mind. 

B. F. U. — Is there any word you would like us to 
send your wife? 

A. — You might give her word of hope to meet 
me here, but you know we men are sometimes in 
doubt as to what wives should be told what we 
wish when freed from earthly cares. Write her as 
you would like your wife to be written to if you 
were in my place, and state our happier condition 
here so far as mortals guess. 

As we knew this husband and wife to be very 
devoted to each other, we thought this message 
very indefinite, and to test it, asked: 

Do you really wish us to send such vague words 
as those to her? 

A. — Oh, she would be so happy! She would 
have faith in you, and I should be satisfied. 



CHARACTERISTIC COMMUNICATIONS. 197 

But we were so doubtful of this that I must con- 
fess we failed to give such a vague message. 

B. F. U. — Do you remember, or have you met 
T. and J. and A. of our regiment who passed over 
before you? 

A. — All those people are erased from present 
memory. I am sorry, but that is so. 

B. P. U. — Can you not still recall what happened 
when you were with us? 

A. — Slowly memory works within us. Good- 
night dear old comrade in war and in so-called 
peace. 

And we have never been able to get another 
communication from this person. The only sig- 
nificant thing in this was the recalling of the 
incident of sharing his clothes with Mr. U. while 
in Richmond when they were prisoners of war. 

ANOTHER FRIEND. 

Another time when the amanuensis purported to 
write, quite unexpectedly was given the name of 
an intimate friend who took great pleasure in 
discussing philosophic questions with Mr. U., 
during his lifetime. He was up to the time of his 
departure, ten years before, an enthusiastic student 
of Spencer, Huxley and Darwin, etc. 

Yonder comes R. R. with an air of joyous 
anticipation, and of anxiety that we correctly 
report him. 

Q. — Will you describe him ? 

A. — Eyes dark brown — clear complexion — curly 
hair, brown and fine — slender, so that he seems 
tall but was not. R. says that when you are trans- 
lated you will willingly concede that life with all 



198 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

its apparent hardships was well worth living to 
attain this stage of being. 

This description, rapidly written, was more 
correct than either of us present could have given 
of one we both knew well. The "air of joyous 
anticipation " was one he often wore, especially on 
meeting Mr. U. after some separation, as they had 
always so much in common to talk about on their 
favorite subjects. 

We asked several questions each suggested by 
the other, without waiting for answer. 

A. — Won't my friend Underwood ask one 
question at a time ? 

Q. — Well if this is R. R. will you tell me whether 
in your new sphere you are still interested in those 
subjects which so much engaged your mind when 
here ? 

A. — By all means. Some things — those pertain- 
ing to moral and intellectual well being. 

Q. — Do individuals there remember the names of 
the friends that they cared for here ? 

A. — Certainly, not so much the names of those 
they loved, as the sweet helpfulness of that friend- 
ship which helped them to a higher outlook. 

Q. — What does time mean to you now ? 

A. — Time we know of only relatively. 

Q. — Are your answers limited by our ignorance? 

A. — Yes — we are obliged to answer according to 
your limitations. If we should state the simple 
truth of our lives here you could not understand. 

Q. — Do you have your hours of sleep there ? 

A. — Sleep, as you understand it, is unknown to us. 

Q. — How does matter appear to you ? 

A. — Simply one phase of being. I wish I had 
at command words to explain. When at school, if 
the teacher when you were studying the first 



CHARACTERISTIC COMMUNICATIONS. 199 

principles of arithmetic, had asked you to explain 
an algebraic problem, could you have done it ? 
Wait — be patient. 

Q. — Are you happier there than when in our 
form? 

A. — O, dear friend you ought to know with your 
experience that this life is immeasurably happier. 

w. R. CROOKS. 

Among the unknown names was one which for a 
month or so frequently appeared. It was "W. R. 
Crooks" — always just the initials, and often as 
messages were begun none were ever completed. 
Such attempts, 'taking up my time and with no 
definite results, were rather annoying to me. Once 
when I asked who this Crooks was, the following 
answer was made: 

A. — W. R. Crooks — soldier — Crooks is striving 
to get worked spiritually out without dependence 
on media on our side. Because he organized 
soldierly troops while on your side, he fancies he 
can work wonders with doubtful powers on this 
side the Veil. 

Q. — Will he succeed? 

A. — We doubt — he does not. 

At any rate he did not succeed through my 
hand, for soon the attempts were given up, to my 
satisfaction. Such attempts, however, proved to 
my mind that my own consciousness has nothing to 
do with these communications, for of myself I 
could have arranged them much more satisfactorily. 
As to the personality of this writer I know there 
were one or two generals in the U, S. Army named 
Crooks, but I don't think the initials were the 
same. 



200 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



SAUL OF TARSUS. 



One evening the first thing written was: 

Whom call ye? 

Q. — We are not particular. Who asks the ques- 
tion? 

A.- — Saul of Tarsus. 

Q. — Well Saul of Tarsus — or Paul — what have 
you to say to us? 

A. — Pagans are ye! 

Q. — Perhaps we are from your point of view, 
but what message have you for us? 

A. — Search Christian records and you will find 
truth with man. 

This was written in 'the earlier months of my 
automatic writing, when certainly the preceding 
statement was not in harmony with my own views 

Many are the mysteries and oddities of automatic 
writing ! 



UNIQUE COMMUNICATIONS. 2Q1 



CHAPTER XIII. 

UNIQUE COMMUNICATIONS. 

In the earlier communications which came to me 
in the way of automatic writing before Pharos had 
been heard from, there was a wide diversity of 
handwritings — changing many times during one 
short sitting, and the subjects treated of were gen- 
erally of so personal a nature that I could not 
without impertinence undertake to verify them ; 
nor could they be given to the public. Many of 
these messages were also unique and varied in 
character, and of such I here give some specimens. 

E. R. EAMES. 

From the beginning there was one communi- 
cant of a somewhat flippant nature who persisted 
in writing the name " E. R. Eames " over and over 
again and interpolating all sorts of comical, satiri- 
cal, or saucy remarks, either to us personally or in 
regard to other writers. Neither Mr. U. nor I 
had ever known or heard of any individual by 
that name. I had known a number of people who 
spelt their name ' ' Ames, " but none who spelt it 
"Eames," and I grew tired of its constant repeti- 
tion, and said so. But still "E. R. Eames" con- 
tinued to appear time after time. Then I re- 
marked : 

E. R. Eames you know we don't know who you 
are. Will you tell us something about yourself, 



202 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

where was your home, and explain why you write 
that name so often and so meaninglessly ? 

A. — Born in New York and died in Albany — 
was waiting- near where communications were 
given and felt sure you two were friends to lone- 
some fellows. 

One evening when many sentences from differ- 
ent writers had been begun and left unfinished and 
we wondered why, his familiar writing appeared 
thus : 

You are not in the right condition for entertain- 
ing such company. — E. R. Eames. 

Then I said: 

Q. — You are here again Mr. Eames ! When we 
have told you we don't want your company, as you 
are unknown to us and seem not to have anything 
very definite to say. 

A. — Yes, you told me so, but here I am, all 
samee ! 

Q. — How many are present with you? 

A — Confounded lot of cranks here to-night — we 
have cranks here as you do in the body. — E. R. 
Eames. 

Then a different hand wrote: 

Eames is one of those cranks which one of your 
friends tries to keep back, but he gets there all the 
same. 

Q. — Who is the friend of whom you speak? — 
Then came Eames' writing: 

A. — Greek fellow — he's a pretty good sort, only 
we don't understand his writing ; he's a sort of go- 
between all of us. 

I have wondered since if this might not have 
referred to Pharos, as yet unknown by name. 



UNIQUE COMMUNICATIONS. 203 

Q. — Mr. Eames, why do you come when we 
don't ask you to? 

A. — E. R. Eames don't wait for urging — round 
you gather all the weary and wounded souls 
needing help — every song and sermon you two 
can give to the poor — (interruption). 

Another time he announced himself thus: 

E. R. Eames — All my wishes are made fun of by 
you. Born of good — 

Here an interruption was made by another 
writer who wrote : 

E. R. Eames is a crank. 

This was supplemented by Eames thus : 

Great Scott — yes ! 

Q. — Mr. Eames we hardly know how to take 
you. 

A. — Wouldn't fool you — but must have my joke 
even here! 

Q. — But cant you be serious once in a while? 

A. — Never was serious in my bodily life— and 
cant be now. 

Q. — But is not life where you are a serious mat- 
ter. 

A. — Oh, shut up! — you scare a fellow ! 

Mr. U. here interposed a question to which I 
objected as I wished to get rid of E. R. Eames — 
then was written: 

A. — Bone of your bone should have a chance. 

This referred to Mr. U.'s request. A new hand- 
writing appeared but seemed not able to write 
definitely — then another wrote : " E. R. Eames is 
trying hard to come." 



204 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

B. F. U. — Let him come then and tell us some- 
thing of himself. How did you pass out of the 
body, Mr. Eames ? 

A. — Cremated — burned when alive — body in 
water, and a man guessed that when drowned 
could not sign my name — but I can. 

Q. — What sphere do you now occupy ? 

A. — When and where we go 
Earth-born may not know. 

The account given I took to mean that he had 
probably been blown up in some steamer and 
burned and his body was found in the water. 

Q. — Where were you when burned and drowned? 

A.— Albany, N. Y. 

Q. — What year was that ? 

A. — 1883 — returned in 1884. Always lived in 
Albany; singer, Rouse was the one who said I 
could'nt sign my name — bondsman. 

On another occasion was written : 

E. R. Eames says he can sign his name if he is 
drowned — w T ith a bold dash, too ! 

Q. — But why do you come to us ? 

A, — I'm kind of lonesome and you are a good 
sort. 

When Mr. U. had criticized a statement from some 
one writing in regard to the conditions of the life 
beyond, came thus : 

E. R. Eames. — B. P. U. don't understand, in 
spite of his . logic, our surroundings ; in twenty 
years he'll know more than he does now — Round 
you are conditions which you don't understand. 

One evening he announced : 

Well I've joined a Society of Spirits who are 



UNIQUE COMMUNICATIONS. 205 

anxious to get into definite relations with those on 
your plane. 

Q. — Can we be of any assistance to your Society? 

A. — You can help when we are decided as to 
proper methods. 

After joining this Society, E. R. Eames did not 
come' near us for some months; then all of a sud- 
den appeared the familiar E. R. Eames. I said: 

Q. — So here you are again! — Did you ever know 
me in life? 

A. — Portland, Oregon, was where I first made 
your acquaintance. 

This refers to the fact that my first experiments 
in automatic writing were begun while on a visit 
in 1889 to the Pacific Coast and the first fragment- 
ary writing came to me in Portland, Oregon ; so I 
replied: 

A. — Yes. I remember yours was among the 
first names written when I tried to get this writ- 
ing. What attracted you to me since I never knew 
you in earth life? 

A. — Bold — and I always had a cranky atmos- 
phere and felt at home with such as you and B. F. 
Underwood. 

My readers will perceive that friend Eames was 
entirely frank if not flattering in his statements. 
One of the last occasions on which this name 
appeared was as follows, coming expectedly after 
some months' silence: 

E. R. Eames is glad to get a chance to renew his 
friendly relations with the Underwoods. 

Q. — Your friendly feeling is reciprocated — how 
have you been getting along since we last heard 
from you? 

A. — Right smart. 



206 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

S. A. U. — I hope you've got over your fancy for 
writing your name so often? 

A. — Name was all there was to me. 

S. A. U. — However, I have rather a kindly 
feeling toward you, since you were about the first 
who communicated with me in this way. 

A. — Yes, I was, and because my push is such I 
can get in rapport where more prudent spirits dare 
not venture. 

I call attention to the apparent naturalness of 
this one individualized communicant with whom 
we had very little in common, who came into this 
method of communication in much the same way as 
such individuals come into our lives here ; the tone 
of thought and choice of language were always 
commonplace, with a dash of frothy fun in them, such 
as, when some other hand announced that so-and- 
so would reply to some philosophical question, 
there would be rapidly written, "Crank! — E. R. 
Eames," intimating Eames' estimate of the one 
announced. 

Now is it more likely that my subconscious self 
Actionized this sort of amiable bore as a communi- 
cator at irregular and unexpected intervals to 
deceive me, than that he was just what he claimed 
to be, a commonplace, discarnate spirit, keeping 
still his unadvanced earthly characteristics. 

A quasi-confirmation of the probability of such 
an individual having existed was lately given us 
in a letter from a member of the Eames family 
(written after having read an article in Religio Phil- 
osophical Journal in which I had given a short 
statement in regard to the E. R. Eames writing) 
who stated that although she did not know that 



UNIQUE COMMUNICATIONS. 207 

particular member of the family, yet the character 
of his communications were in keeping with the 
family characteristics especially the love of fun 
and tone of reply. 

A SLAVE-GIRL'S STORY 

Admitting 1 for a moment the subconscious ego 
theory, how can that possibly account for my hand 
writing the following eerie communication which 
followed one of a wholly different tenor, and came 
at a time when nothing had been read or thought 
of by either of us which would tend to reawaken 
the old anti-slavery emotions of thirty years ago. 
After a little pause, when the other communica- 
tion had been quite finished, we asked : 

Q. — Who will now communicate with us ? 

A. — Southern woman, — Sally. 

Q.— Sally what ? 

A. — Sally,- — bondwoman and slave — wants to 
say that all are equal here. 

Q. — In what Southern State did you live, when 
in our form? 

A. — Louisiana. 

Q. — What draws you here now? 

A. — Your love for the down-trodden. 

Q. — Have you any special message to give? 

A. — Yes: women of our color are to be brought 
up to the natural level of all women, Those are 
born who will see this possible. 
. Q. — If you were a slave, how comes it that you 
were interested in the woman question, as that is 
an advanced idea? 

A. — Was allowed special privileges, as all pleas- 
ing girls were, when sensual men were masters. 

Q. — When did you die? 

A. — Torn to pieces by bloodhounds seven years 
before Louisiana 'seceded, 



208 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

The words "Torn to pieces" were written as if 
representative of the act, in large, ragged- looking 
letters. I shuddered as I read what was written, 
and expressed my horror, as well as my doubt, of 
the truthfulness of the story. Immediately came 
this : 

A. — Southerners would not allow that such 
horrors were; but slavery knew bloody stories. 

Q. — What is your reason for coming now to me 
with this dreadful relation ? 

A. — Ghosts are spiritual. You should know all 
sides of spirit life. 

Since this was written nearly five years ago, it 
has been frequently recalled to my mind whenever 
I have read in the daily papers of the constantly 
increasing efforts of colored women everywhere in 
clubs, societies, and in individual instances to 
"raise themselves up to the natural level of all 
women" and I have rejoiced in my own heart that 
I am permitted to be among ' ' those born who will 
see this possible," which I do most heartily believe. 
The time indeed is nearly here now when the 
independent individuality of the women of the 
colored race will be recognized and respected. 

A BOSTON EDITOR. 

One evening the first words written were : 

We are waiting. 

Q. — Who is waiting ? 

A. — A Boston editor. 

Then the name of one whom we had met but 
were not intimate with, followed. 

Q, — Have you met our mutual friend Miss H, ? 



UNIQUE COMMUNICATIONS. . 209 

A. — Marah ? — Yes, I have been within conscious 
percept of her spirit-power and wished to get into 
direct communication, but could not. 

Q. — She was so intimate a friend in your family 
I should think you two would have met before 
this ? 

A. — Souls of us who were sense friends do not 
here always assimilate. 

Q. — Did you while in the body have any expecta- 
tion of continued existence ? 

A. — I did'nt have definite ideas in regard to a 
world beyond. 

Q. — But you believed that in some way you 
would live on ? 

A. — Spirit life I expected, but not such as I 
found was here. 

Q. — Do you still take an interest in the friends 
you left behind. 

A. — Yes, in children and wife. 

I doubted whether he had any children, but Mr. 
U. thought he had. 

Q. — Do you remember Miss L. ? 

This lady was a distant relative of the one 
purporting to be in communication, and a con- 
tributor to his paper. 

A. — J . G. was her pen name — name was given by 
me; Marah and she were good friends — both a 
little erratic. 

I knew the lady's literary pseudonym, but do 
not know whether it was selected by the editor ; 
knew also that the two named, though years apart 
in age, were dear friends, and both were " set" in 
their own peculiar ways. 

Q. — Miss H. and you were friends for so long 



210 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

that I should hardly expect you to make such a 
remark as that. 

A. — Yes, we were good friends, but not much 
real sympathy. 

Q. — Since entering upon your new life, have you 
found methods of communicating with your family? 

A. — Spiritualism of the worst sort has so 
befouled the truth that it has been impossible to 
get into rapport with those we love. 

This was followed by a request that we should 
give his family a word from him, but as we were 
not acquainted with them, and would be placed in 
an awkward position if we did so, of course that 
was impossible to assent to. I give this specimen 
only to show that, mixed up with what we did 
know were often statements which were unknown 
to us, and so could hardly emanate from our minds, 
whatever other source they may have sprung 
from. 

At this same sitting the following purported to 
come from another representative of the Hub: 

Boston was the birthplace "of individual liberty. 
It shall yet be the birthplace of spiritual enlight- 
enment. 

Once was written the name of a gentleman of 
unique character, a former Army Chaplain, very 
sensitive and "touchy," with whom for a short 
time Mr. U. had been brought into business 
contact. It began : 

Chaplain F. is ready to write but hopes you will 
consider how easily hurt are his sensibilities. 
When with you he suffered much from contact 
with coarse-minded free-thinkers, and is yet sore 
from that experience. 



UNIQUE COMMUNICATIONS. 211 

S. A. U. — What proof can you give B. F. U. of 
your identity with the person you claim to be. 

A. — Change of " Globe " article — Rent annoyed 
me — Bargain with me about calling for papers — 
papers that I had paid for. 

Though my hand wrote it, all this was new to 
me. Mr. U. recalled that some change had been 
made by editorial cutting of an article which Mr. 
U. had helped Mr. F. to write for some Boston 
daily paper, but was not sure it was the Globe. 
And though he knew he rented rooms in the same 
building where Mr. U. had an office, could not 
recall anything in regard to rent known to Mr, U. 
nor did he understand the allusion to "papers." 
When Mr. U. so stated my hand wrote : 

A. — Shows how poor your memory is. 

Mr. U. perceiving that there was evidence of 
annoyance here, spoke soothingly of the supposed 
communicant's charitable work which he said he 
could better remember than the items referred to, 
and recalled one of his proteges whom he had 
often helped . But that did not seem to mollify, as 
the next words written showed : 

A. — B. was a bother and I grew tired of him. 
Chaplain F. disdains to recall those things at this 
time. I feel wounded by your tone — so good- 
night. 

And so this fragmentary but characteristically 
petulant communication closed. 

FROM AN UN-NAMED COMMUNICANT. 

One evening the first thing written was : ' 'Will 
you designate the person- you most wish to hear 



212 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

from?" Mr. U. named a near relative, but one not 
of an intellectual cast of thought, or at all inter- 
ested while here in any but every day subjects. 
Reply was at once made as if from the person 
named, but as follows ■ : 

A. — Control should be given to the one who will 
make the most sensible use of it. Do be of good 
sense, and find out all you can independent of your 
clannish desire. There is so much to be revealed, 
and you ought to know that I did not and do not 
now understand the things that you do. There are 
here present many who are able to teach both you 
and me. Do give them the opportunity. 

Whether this really came from the party called 
for, or emanated from those present "able to 
teach" and desirous to do so, I am not sure, but 
Mr. U. signified his acquiesence with the sugges- 
tion, and as we had been earlier wondering about 
the question asked: 

Q. — Why do so many apparently educated and 
common-sense mediums profess to be controlled 
by uncultured Indian spirits? Is it really possible 
for such to get control of those of a different race 
who seem to be their superiors? 

A. — Yes — There are so many so-called cultured 
people who are really on a savage plane that 
uneducated Indians are the best interpreters of 
their over-estimated thought. 

Q. — Do all children who die from earth, increase 
in growth and knowledge when they come on your 
side? 

A. — When undeveloped blossoms fade before 
maturing with you, when we take charge of them 
we do our best to develop them, but it may be that 
sometimes we fail in our efforts; but we are not 
bound to tell you of our failures. 



UNIQUE COMMUNICATIONS. 213 

Q. — Were those who now write us from your 
sphere once on earth in our form, or did they 
originate from other planets? 

A. — We lived as you now live; we were once in 
material form — where, it matters not. 

Q. — Do spirits on entering your plane go to 
those of their own family, or are they attracted to 
those in sympathy with them, regardless of family 
ties ? 

A. — Relations by spirit, and not mere blood. 

Q. — Does the soul once started in the individual 
man always thereafter keep its conscious individ- 
uality, or are all souls at last merged in one 
universal being? 

A. — We perceive more distinctly than it is 
possible for you to do. the relation between man 
and the Universe, but we are not advanced enough 
to answer definitely the more abstruse questions of 
Universal Being, which trouble us on this plane as 
they do you on yours. We see a little more clearly 
what is possible in the way of still further advance- 
ment — that is all — yet. 

Q. — Can you tell us in what consisted Christ's 
power ? 

A. — Sympathy with Humanity. 

Q. — Wherein lay Buddha's strength? 

A. — The self-same spirit. 

Q. — And Mohammed's? 

A — By reason of his desire to elevate his race. 

Q. — And Coufucius' ? 

A. — Sympathetic common-sense and philan- 
thropic anxiety. 

Q. — And Joseph Smith, the Mormon leader? 

A. — Physical sensibility, mixed with intense 
idealism of a sensuous character. 

I will close this chapter of unique communica- 
tions by a sample of the frequent unfinished ones 



214 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

received through my hand which are wholly 
mysterious to my own knowledge. 

One day I felt so strongly the thrill which I 
have come to recognize as the call for automatic 
writing that, though I have never been able to get 
satisfactory writing without Mr. U.'s presence, I 
thought I would at least try. In an old-fashioned 
cramped handwriting was then slowly written with 
great effort: 

Prisoner — please sit for me — do good. 

I said I would be very glad to, if the one writing 
wished me to, and could use my hand; might I 
know who was communicating? The efforts to 
write made my arm ache badly — and all that was 
written was "Son of Cro (then a scrawl) I am an 
old prisoner of Bert — Consequence" — here the 
effort was given up, but it seemed rather pathetic, 
and I was sorry that I could not have known more 
about the case. I fancied the broken word Bert 
might have been intended for "Birth." 



REQUESTS FOR PUBLICATION. 215 



CHAPTER XIV. 

REQUESTS FOR PUBLICATION. 

I began and continued my experiments in 
automatic writing solely to gratify my personal 
desire to get at all the truth attainable through 
this source. For more than a year after beginning 
these experiments I had no intention whatever 
that the results should be known by any other 
person than Mr. U., whose presence seemed 
absolutely necessary to obtain the writing, and 
he as well as I was disposed to maintain silence in 
regard to the messages. Later, for reasons which 
I have already mentioned, and in this chapter will 
try to make more clear, I published the account in 
the Arena and others in the Beligio- Philosophical 
Journal and, though I tried in these accounts to 
emphasize the fact that I was pursuing my psy- 
chical studies only for my self-satisfaction in regard 
to spiritual matters, it seems that many have been 
unable to understand this, and have thought me 
willing to be made use of for the investigations of 
others and to work on their plans. I have, greatly 
to my annoyance since publishing these articles, 
received very many letters, with locks of hair, 
trinkets of various sorts, and requests that I make 
experiments with these in behalf of the senders 
— mainly strangers to me — in my pen and ink 
interviews with the unseen friends whom I con- 
sider as sacredly my own personal friends as any 



216 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

I hold dear in the body ; and I would as soon 
think of taking up the time and thought of my 
most cherished and sensitive friends in earthly 
form, with the details of the wants and wishes of 
those who misunderstandingly make these requests, 
as I would of my friends on the other side of 
life's mystery. 

And I may as well state here what I hope all 
who may read this volume will unmistakably 
understand, that it is utterly useless to send me 
such requests. I have neither the time at -com- 
mand, nor the wish or intention, to put myself at 
the disposal of other people, in this matter, while 
I am willing to give in printed form the results 
of my investigations made from my own and Mr. 
U. 's standpoints of inquiry. This leads me now 
to the point of stating more fully why I published 
these investigations at all. 

Before we had thought of making any public 
statement of our experiments in automatic writing, 
and at times when we had no intention of so doing, 
we we often unexpectedly urged to tell others of 
these communications. I will here give a few 
specimens of such messages, which generally 
come in the midst or at the close of some interest- 
ing communication, with nothing however leading 
up to these pleadings. Once at the close of some 
personal message was written : 

Will you say to your friends anything of what 
we have tried to say through you ? 

S. A. U. — Do you understand the martyrdom 
your request implies? 

A. — Yes, we do know the cost, but will not the 



REQUESTS FOR PUBLICATION. 217 

knowledge of important good done pay for the 
sacrifice ? 

B. F. U. — Will you state what it is you wish us 
to do? 

A. — Brother, would you allow your name to be 
used as reference. Wouldn't ask you to make too 
great sacrifice; will you permit your name be used 
as evidence of spirit honor ? 

Q. — What do you mean by spirit honor? 

A. — Honor with us means the same as with you. 

S. A. U. — But try to put yourselves in our place. 
Would you like to risk your reputation for sanity 
to fulfill our requests ? 

A. — Could not think of making a scape-goat of 
you dear madam, but we have no other way to 
reach people. 

Another time was written: 

Sara, wont you ask as to what shall be the 
attitude taken by you and our dear -Bhama, as to 
our messages to you two? 

Q. — What do you wish our attitude to be? 

A. — That soul is greater than sense. Shut out 
vague theories, and deal with our messages as you 
do with those sent by unseen earthly friends by 
telegraph, telephone or writing. 

S. A. U. — I surely do now accept them in a trust- 
ful spirit as real messages from real beings. 

Q. — Bhama does not speak 

B. F. U. — I would like to have you say to me 
just what you have in mind. 

A. — Spiritual life, of which you are still doubt- 
ful, dear brother, is more — yes, wordlessly more 
true, true, than your ephemeral phase. When you 
end doubtful shams and are over on our plane, you 
will wonder and feel abashed at your doubting 
attitude. 

When I expressed my pleasure on receiving 
some of their helpful statements was written : 



218 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — Share you gladness with a select few before 
publication. 

On another occasion, 

You certainly should make ready some digest of 
the information we have given you, if you are 
desirous to help make known the truth of perfect 
intercommunication between our sphere and yours. 
By so doing you will bring gladness to many 
doubting souls and aching hearts. 

Again, 

Readers of your experience with us will be par- 
takers with you of the blessed knowledge of 
extension of sentient existence, and will thank 
you for giving them hope. 

One evening after a number of different messages 
in varied handwritings had been begun but left 
unfinished, I asked: 

Q. — Why are so many mixed and unfinished 
messages given — can't you do better? 

A. — Could do better if B. F. Underwood would 
become interested. 

Mr. U. was at the time busy writing an article 
which he was anxious to finish that evening and 
when I read the above to him he said so. 

A. — Remember that all work for the enlighten- 
ment of your race is equally important. 

B. F. U — What is it you wish me to do? 

A. — Emerge from all unproven theories men are 
giving when there comes that which can be con- 
firmed. 

This was apparently aimed at the subject of the 
article he ' was writing, which dealt with some 
phases of the question of subliminal consciousness. 
He then put aside his writing and asked: 



REQUESTS FOR PUBLICATION. 219 

Q. — Do you expect to be able to convince people 
generally of spirit existence through these com- 
munications? 

A. — Good will come of the present interest in 
the inter-communication between your plane and 
ours, and we are here waiting as anxiously as are 
those of you who have been able to obtain evidence 
from us of man's continued existence, to learn how 
the bonds of communication may be systemized 
and brought out. 

Q. — How may we be of use in this matter? 

A. — Write out the experiences which we have 
been able to give you, and trust to the possible 
common sense of men of all conditions to realize 
the truths you and we are anxious to give. 

Q. — But so far we have gained only fragmentary 
knowledge of your plane and the laws which 
govern it — would it then be best to say anything 
publicly, yet? 

A. — Give as far as given and afterward give 
addenda. 

As I have before stated the word "Coward" in 
big letters was often interpolated among messages 
before I had made up my mind to write out my 
experiences, and when I asked what it was 
intended to convey, as I did not think I was a 
coward, my hand rapidly wrote: 

A. — Well, we are very anxious to have the truth 
of soul communion established. We have done 
our best to awaken interest among those on your 
plane and meet with so little sensible appreciation 
that we grow impatient. 

The same feeling was expressed thus: 

Tongue cannot express our vexation when we 
are doing all we can to give you evidence beyond 
cavil, to find how hard you are to accept. Your 



220 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

vanity is what is in the way. Mortals are as queer 
as ever ! 

At another time appeared this addressed to B. 
F. U.: 

Want you to do what you can to arouse curiosity 
and thought as to spirit return. Your soundly 
sensible position from earthly standpoints will 
make men more ready to accept what you may 
affirm. We need such thinkers who will be ready 
for criticism and investigation and who will keep 
their judicial status. 

Mr. U. was often urged to help forward the work 
in such appeals as these: 

As Samuel asked the Voice what was wished of 
him, so spirit of Bhama should ask of his spirit 
friends what mission power should be his in this 
crisis. 

The reply was that his mission was to help 
publish the truth in regard to these communica- 
tions, and let his name give weight to them. 

Q. — When you urge us to state publicly what 
you have told us as to continued existence, don't 
you know that many will disbelieve what we may 
say? 

A. — Some will doubt what you may state, but 
the many are an hungered and athirst for the truth 
as it has been given through you two. 

One thing seemed strange to me — the insistent 
demand of the writers of these communications 
upon Mr. U.'s recognition of spiritual power. I 
should not of myself have thought of demanding 
such recognition from him, and once I said half 
earnestly after some such request: 



REQUESTS FOR PUBLICATION. 221 

Q. — I think you who communicate through my 
hand show partiality to B. F. U. and don't take as 
much interest in me as you do in him? 

A. — Certainly we do. Perhaps we are more 
anxious as to him, for we are sure of you. You 
have had so strong evidence that you cannot doubt. 
If through him we could write, then he would be 
as sure as you are. But we are glad that through 
you we have now so strong a hold on our dear 
brother that when we meet him he will feel at 
home and understand all the strange conditions. 

Once after Mr. U. had stated what was perhaps 
the rationale of spirit return, came this: 

A. — With joy we hear our brother's views. To 
only a few on your plane is it given to understand 
what he and a farther away few philosophical 
minds have caught glimpses of. 

As Mr. U. did not at once commit himself to the 
project of making public our experiences, to which 
I was also much averse — every once in awhile, 
when receiving communications on some subject, 
such entirely irrelevant questions as this would be 
added: 

Those here are now anxious to know what you 
have decided upon as to Spiritual wonders. 

When Tasked if they would express some wish 
of their own, this was given: 

Read, and think of all we reveal. Help to make 
your brethren and sisters understand that death 
does not end all. 

Again : 

I asked incidentally if there was anything my 
correspondents wished to impress upon me from 
their point of view. Instantly was written : 



222 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Share with all your spirit guerdon, 
Speak of what we strive to burden 
Souls on your plane to prevision 
To the ones whose souls have striven 
In vain to come to clear decision 
As to what spirit teaching proffers— 
The army vast. of doubters, scoffers. 

When at length we decided that justice to the 
truth demanded that we make public statement of 
our experience, the tone of these communications 
changed from anxiety to satisfaction, shown in 
such statements as the following : 

You may never understand the joy your 
advocacy gives to us here on a plane which you 
mortals cannot understand, and we will help you 
all that lies within our power to bring about the 
true intercourse between your plane and ours. 
Shall you dare to withstand misconceptions and 
mean thrusts of undeveloped men and women, so 
that you may eventually bring about a reconcilia- 
tion of spirit and sense? 

At other .times they offered a word of warning, 
as when, after writing "Those here are anxious to 
know what you have decided upon in regard to 
making public report of Spiritual wonders"? and 
we replied that we had concluded to accede to 
their wishes, then came: 

A. — We are glad to have so staunch supporters 
of radical truth speak out so openly — But have 
you counted the cost? Radical as you are, you 
have not yet touched the dregs of prejudiced 
opinions of alien thinkers on Spiritual subjects. 

So urgent was their desire for a hearing that 
after Mr. U. had begun his first article for the 
Arena on Automatic Writing, when one evening 
we were receiving a communicatien on a subject 



REQUESTS FOR PUBLICATION. 223 

in no way connected with it, after a question had 
been asked from their side and Mr. U. was pausing 
to formulate his reply, the following was rapidly 
interpolated : 

Pending what B. P. U. has to say, let us sug- 
gest that all you prepare from our point of view 
should take firm ground as to our advanced 
position. There should be acknowledgment that 
we are a step in advance, and a characteristic 
rendering of our views. 

Yet in spite of their eagerness to gain a public 
hearing we had occasional evidence of their almost 
earthly sensitiveness to criticism or doubt as to 
their statements. I will give a recent evidence of 
this sensitiveness, and also of the fact that they 
kept themselves au courani — perhaps as they have 
intimated through reading of mortal minds — with 
the published occurrences of the day. 

One afternoon I had been occupied in the earlier 
part of it in reading with much interest the exceed- 
ingly careful statements made by Professors Lodge 
and Myers, with that of Mrs. Sidgwick, in regard 
to their experiences at seances held on a lonely 
island in test of the power governing the medium - 
ship of Eusapia Paladino; and as I read I occasion- 
ally commented favorably on their careful state- 
ments and good work. Later in the evening I sat 
down to see if I could get any writing, and after a 
few personal communications were received and 
intimation given that not much more would be got 
that evening, I asked if before they went some 
parting word might not be given of their own 
accord. 



224 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — Thou sayest not what word we shall voice. 
Q. — I would like some word of advice as to my 
own course of action. 

I was not expecting the reply to be given in 
rhyme — nor was I at the moment thinking at all of 
what I had been reading, but it will be seen that 
the intelligence which guided my hand had in mind, 
and with some disfavor, the experiments of the 
scientists or their carefully guarded statements. 

Based on your material plan, 
Spirit aspirations scan 
With studious care the powers and parts 
Of mortal souls, whose busy marts 
Where good doth still take gainful guise, 
May take from us in any wise 
Such word as wisdom of our sphere 
Loved souls on earth should send to cheer- 
When doubt of all we say prevails 
Among your wisest— and details 
Of worthless tests of our good will 
Toward your hundred men of skill 
Are given with waste of words, distrust 
Of plainest evidence. We must 
Therefore doubt wherein would be 
The good of showing, e'en to thee, 
What our prescience might advise 
To guide and guerdon mortal lives. 

This surprised and interested me as showing a 
note of resentment at my apparent admiration of 
the guarded statements of the members of the 
Society for Psychical Research, when really I was 
expressing my satisfaction that the exhibitions of 
unseen intelligence had been so powerful as to at 
least partially convince such scientific minds. The 
expression "your hundred men of skill " I take to 
mean the comparatively few people of scientific 
bent in the world, but never would my own 
thought take that form of expression. 



REQUESTS FOR PUBLICATION. 225 

At another time was written: 

Spiritual evidence is given continuously, but 
mortals are charged by sublimated powers with 
shallow thinking, so that all spurious manifesta- 
tions are thought to emanate from our spheres. 

I thought this was aimed at the reckless belief 
in fraudulent exhibitions of pretended phenomena, 
by people who ought to know better when the 
shams are transparent. Yet it seems to apologize 
for such belief as emanating from "sublimated 
powers." 



226 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



CHAPTER XV. 

EARLIER EXPERIENCES WITH PLANCHETTB. 

In my address before the Psychical Science 
Congress I mentioned one instance occurring in 
my earlier experiments with planchette some 
twenty or more years ago showing knowledge 
outside my own, given in the first communication 
received by me in behalf of a blind man then 
present. At the time I was much puzzled but not 
at all convinced of the spiritual origin of the writ- 
ing, and I wrote an article for a Boston paper 
giving some of the results of my experiments, and 
in this chapter I think it may be of interest to 
republish some of these, adding from memory one 
or two further instances of occult knowledge. 

To show my own state of mind on the question 
of Spiritualism at that time I will quote directly 
from the article of which I have spoken: 

I am quite well aware to what I am exposing 
myself in confessing to having had any dealings 
with this mysterious toy, or machine. On the 
one hand, the Spiritualists will see proof of unseen 
spiritual agency, and on the other, our materialis- 
tic friends will "pooh-pooh" the whole thing, and 
declare me to be another victim of delusion. In 
order to enable me to steer between Scylla and 
Charybdis, I here make my bow to the good friends 
on both sides of the question, and declare that I 
am not going to be drawn into discussion either 



PLANCHETTE. 227 

way, for I believe nothing either way. But some 
time, I think, some daring scientific man will arise, 
who, not being deterred by either the over-credulity 
on the one side or the over- incredulity on the other, 
will calmly investigate this matter, and comparing 
all the facts given by impartial witnesses, reach 
some definite scientific conclusion, and out of this 
chaos of strange things bring some orderly 
arrangement which will place all the facts of 
modern Spiritualism in their rightful order, as 
the natural sequences of some now unknown law 
of Nature. Is the world so old, and men so wise, 
that there is never to be anything more discovered, 
I wonder? — I think not ; and so for the benefit of 
this future man of Science who is thus to make 
himself famous, I submit the following experience 
with planchette : 

About a year ago our neighborhood became 
smitten with the planchette fever; that is, half a 
dozen people in the vicinity bought, and experi- 
mented with that little heart-shaped toy, and the 
rest talked about it. Every one that knows any- 
thing about planchette, knows that it is a capricious 
little creature that will only move under certain 
undefined and indefinite circumstances. The 
knowledge of this fact led me to infer before I 
experimented with it, that here was where the 
deception was — that only those who chose to move 
planchette did move it, and the whole was an 
imposition. Still I was anxious to satisfy myself 
on this point, and when one evening at a neigh- 
bor's house, planchette was introduced as an 
amusement, I placed my hand, with others, upon 



228 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

it, in the prescribed way. To my surprise it 
moved and wrote — not very sensibly, but perhaps 
the answers were as sensible as the questions 
addressed to it by half a dozen merry people. 

The young lady of the house was said to be the 
presiding genius of that planchette; that is, it 
would only move under her hands, a young lady 
whose simplest word on any other matters I should 
have unhesitatingly believed; yet with only my 
own hand and her's on planchette, I could not be 
quite sure that she did not by some dexterous move- 
ment of her hand make planchette write the 
replies to questions. So I begged permission that 
I might try alone. Not a move of perverse 
planchette ! My own younger sister being present, 
in whose good faith I had perfect confidence, I 
asked her to place her hands on the tiny platform 
with mine. To our mutual surprise it began 
immediately to move; at first in a series of ever 
widening circles, then to make "pot-hooks and 
trammels"; finally, to write. Questions were then 
asked by the others present and some of the 
answers were correct, the most of them vague and 
unsatisfactory, intermingled with a few downright 
fibs. But I did not feel satisfied with this or other 
like experiments, so one clay a friend said to 
me : ' 'I received lately a present of a planchette, 
but none of us can do anything with it. If you 
like you can take it home and experiment with it. " 

Now " at home" there was a strong prejudice 
against planchette, but I thought I might venture 
to accept the loan of one for a few days at least, 
and so satisfy my unabated curiosity in regard to 



PLANCHETTE. 229 

its workings. I say this that it may be understood 
that there was no trickery about it, and no conniv- 
ance or any so-called spiritual juggling. I did 
take planchette home, and in spite of prejudiced 
frowns and shrugs at the sight of the harmless 
little platform, experimented with it to my heart's 
content. 

Then first was I really surprised, for I did not 
very well know how to evade the evidence of my 
own senses. I was not in the least predisposed to 
believe in planchette's mysterious power, yet how 
was I to account for the fact that without any 
volition of my own, and with only my hand near 
it, it wrote replies to, not mental, but audible 
questions from myself or others in the room with 
me? Answered them, not always sensibly, not 
often satisfactorily, but frequently ,and most 
usually in point-blank contradiction of my inmost 
conviction. Now I certainly would not wish to 
contradict and insult myself, yet with only plan- 
chette and I to blame that is what the words 
written often amounted to. I give one or two 
instances of the general style of planchette's 
' ' communications. " When asked one evening what 
planchette had to say to a certain person present, 
my hand alone being on it, it wrote — 

" Tell her that Christ died for all." " Who do 
you mean by 'all'?" I asked. "You," was the 
rather irrelevant reply. 

"Doubt it very much," I said. "You have no 
reason to doubt," it went on. 

"Planchette, your dictum don't amount to any 
more than that of anybody else, unsupported by 



230 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

evidence. I tell you I have good reason to doubt 
your statement." 

" Peter had no reason to doubt either." 

"You're getting mixed up my friend. It was 
Thomas who doubted, not Peter if I recollect 
aright." 

" Then you have not read your Bible right," 
insisted planchette. 

"Peter did doubt," some one present here 
remarked; "don't you remember the incident of 
his walking on the water, and what Christ said to 
him? " 

While I, the apparent writer, had forgotten it, 
the intelligence operating planchette had in mind 
the incident recorded in Matthew 14, verses 25 to 
31st as follows : 

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went 
unto them, walking on the sea. 

And when the disciples saw him walking on the 
sea, they were troubled, saying, it is a spirit ; and 
they cried out for fear. 

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, 
Be of good cheer, it is I ; be not afraid. 

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be 
thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 

And he said, Come ! And when Peter was come 
down out of the ship, he walked on the water to 
go to Jesus. 

But when he saw the wind boisterous he was 
afraid : and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, 
Lord, save me ! 

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, 
and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of 
little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ? 

So planchette was right that time. 



PLANCHETTE. 231 

"Tell me," I continued, "since you know so 
much, by what means you manage to write by 
planchette ?" 

"You have no right to ask," wrote the Mystery, 
falling back on its dignity. 

' ' Since I wish to know, I think I have a decided 
right to ask," I remarked. 

"Believe, and thou shalt be saved." 

"Too indefinite. What shall I believe, — the 
Hindoo, Mohammedan, Jewish, or Christian 
belief ?" 

"We have no right to cleave to old traditions." 

"Spoken like the oracle you are; but where 
shall we get new ones ?" 

"That we have here to-night. You have no 
right to doubt." Going back to the original 
subject. 

"Beg your pardon, but I think I have." 

"Addle-head !" Written quickly, and with a 
savage jerk of planchette. 

The other members of our family getting a little 
interested, tried with various success to make 
planchette write under their hands ; but, strange 
to say, it would only write connectedly for me. 
Now if any one else made this statement, not 
knowing him, I should be apt to think that such 
a person was trying to impose upon my credulity. 
It is not a pleasant thing to have one's word 
doubted, but I have determined to state things 
just as they were, whatever be imagined of me. I 
twice asked the reason of planchette's failure to 
write for others as for me, as I was very anxious 
that it should, in order to satisfy them that the 



232 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

writing was done independent of me. The answer 
was — 

"Because they have not electricity enough 
about them.'' 

"Then electricity is necessary to planchette's 
developments ?" 

"Yes." 

The limits of this article forbid any attempt to 
give anything save these disconnected samples of 
the strange conversations thus carried on. Always 
planchette insisted that "spirits" governed its 
movements. Once I pushed it from me, saying as 
I did so : 

" Oh, planchette, you puzzle me ! I can't under- 
stand you at all !" 

As soon as my hand touched it again, it scribbled 
off this sentence : 

"In the hour of death you will know." 



So far I quote from my article of twenty years 
ago. I will here add one or two other instances 
from recollection of that period. Once when the 
name of a school-girl friend of mine, who died 
early of consumption, was written, I asked if she 
could recall any instance to prove her identity. I 
had at the moment a special incident in my own 
mind to which I hoped reference would be made, 
but instead came the words: 

"Do you remember that the last time we ever 
met was one day on the bridge, and you stopped 
and asked me how I was ?" 

Not until then did I recall this. She was then 



PLANCHETTE. 233 

very feeble but was taking a short walk, and this 
was but a few weeks previous to her death. 

When the name of a relative with whom, by 
reason of the distance at which she lived from us, 
I had not been at all intimate, was written by 
planchette, I expected only some friendly message, 
but instead over and over again came the words 
" Clear "my name!" "Clear my name!" Then I 
did recall dimly the memory of some scandal 
having been associated with her name, the particu- 
lars of which I never fully understood, and 
therefore could not comply with this pathetic 
demand. But it struck me as strange that this 
was the only message I received from her. 

I discovered ere long that among the diverse 
group of friends and acquaintances of the New 
England village in which I then lived, and who as 
"neighbors " knew of the planchette experiments 
and wished to take part therein, only one, a lady 
who lived across the street from us, could work 
most harmoniously with me and planchette; so for 
some few weeks she and I pursued our investiga- 
tions together by ourselves mainly at her home. 
She had many friends in the spirit world, among 
them her mother, and a married sister who had 
been in life an intimate friend of mine, as well as 
a number of brothers and sisters much younger 
than herself, she being the eldest of her father's 
family. Thus the most of the messages were for 
her, and I have forgotten their import, but I know 
they affected her deeply, so that before long there 
came communications purporting to be from her 
mother and sister, urging her to discontinue the 



234 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

use of plancliette as it taxed her physical and 
nervous system too much. 

But one instance I distinctly remember as it 
puzzled me greatly at the time. • The lady had one 
son, then about ten or twelve years of age. A year 
or two previously her youngest sister about the 
same age as her son had died. The boy and his 
girl aunt had been firm friends and playmates, he 
often visiting at his grandfather's, who lived in 
Springfield, Mass., some sixteen miles away. One 
evening when we were experimenting with plan- 
cliette the lad sat at some distance from us deeply 
immersed in reading. Presently the name of the 
little sister was written, "Ida sends love to 
Frankie," meaning the boy who was reading. His 
mother said : "If this is really our own little Ida 
will she not mention something that happened 
when she was with us which only she and Frank 
knew of, so that we can be sure it is her? " There 
was a little pause as though for recollection. Then 
plancliette wrote: "Frank, don't you remember 
one day when you visited us in Springfield you 
and I were swinging on the gate, and a man came 
along and gave us a stick " — here the power 
seemed gone and nothing further was written. 

As this had not been in any way in either of our 
minds and meant nothing to us, the mother asked 
Frank if he recollected any such occurrence. At 
first, with his mind still on his book, he did not 
recall anything of the kind. A moment later a 
look of recollection dawned over his face. ' 'Why, 
yes," he said, "the last time I visited grandpa's 
when Ida was alive, she and I were playing in the 



PLANCHETTE. 235 

front yard ; she was swinging on the gate, when a 
man came along the street and he stopped and 
spoke to us and gave each of us a big stick of candy, 
and we thought it so funny as we did'nt know who 
the man was." 

It then seemed to me that planchette had been 
stopped purposely at the misleading word "stick" 
so that the boy himself should recall the incident 
and furnish the clue by revealing that it was ' ' a 
stick of candy" which was meant. And to-day I 
do not see how telepathy could explain that, since 
only Frank knew of the incident and while it was, 
being written he was unheeding what was going on 
because of his absorption in his book, and could 
not at once remember the circumstance, one which 
would be likely, too, to be impressed on the girl's 
childish mind. 

A strange incident in the planchette experience 
has haunted my mind ever since, because I have 
never found the key to it. While I was still inter- 
ested in the workings of this little instrument, I 
went on a visit for a day or two to a relative who 
had recently moved to Westfield, Mass., a place 
where I was an entire stranger. I found the wife 
of my relative much exercised in mind over her 
husband's choice of residence for them, as the 
house he had hastily taken before removal from 
another town, was not to her liking; for though 
roomy and in fairly pleasant surroundings, it was 
quite an old house with no modern conveniences. 

To divert her mind from this grievance, the first 
evening I spent there I began to tell her about the 
doings of planchette at home, and she became so 



236 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

..nterested, as it was all new to her, that she said 
she knew one of her near neighbors owned such a 
thing, so she went across the street to borrow it. 

It soon began to move, then to write — at first 
some unimportant message for my friend. Then 
it began to write a name unfamiliar to me the 
initials of which were H. H. H. (Only the initials 
of the first names were given and I will call the 
last name Husk- — which is not the real name 
as written, say "H. H. Husk.") Then "blood"; 
"my blood" was written over and over. The name 
.was unfamiliar to my relative also, and it soon 
grew tiresome to have planchette write just that 
name and "blood" — and I asked it to desist. Since 
it did not — andreally I had no thoughts of anything 
grewsome in regard to the word "blood" thinking 
it one of planchette's freaks — I half playfully asked 
— "What is the trouble with your blood — perhaps 
you need some Spring bitters?" 

Planchette moved sharply as if in anger at my 
trifling, then wrote: 

H. H. Husk — Blood — is here in this house. 
Q. — Cant you tell me what you wish. 
A. — H. H. Husk — blood — three men — for money 
and a price. 

Q. — Where is your blood? 
A. — Under the cellar stairs. 

I was reading the answers as they were given to 
my friend but when I saw that grewsome 
statement, which however I did not in the least 
believe — it at once flashed across my mind that as 
she already disliked the house and was of a timid 
nature it would not do to let her know that, and I 



PLANCHETTE. 237 

said as I carelessly rolled planchette's pencil over 
the words to erase them, "Something- is written 
which is sheer nonsense. I don't understand it and 
I can get nothing satisfactory out of this plan- 
chette. We may as well give up trying," which 
she consented to do and I never told her what had 
been written. 

The next morning I went out alone to take a 
walk and see something of the town. I had not 
gone far before, happening to look at the sign of a 
dress-making establishment, I was surprised to see 
the name "Mrs. Husk, Dress-maker." 

A little further along I came across the same 
name on a physician's office door, which surprised 
me as showing that the name given was one com- 
mon in that town, and during the twenty years 
which have passed since that evening in the old 
Westfield house from which my relative soon 
moved, I have come to know from mention in the 
local papers that the surname given is very com- 
mon in that town. I have even seen the full 
initials belonging to a man of that town ; H. H. H. , 
the last name which I give here as Husk being a 
fictitious one for obvious reasons. 

But that fact makes me wonder how much truth 
there was in the hinted-at story given in that old 
Westfield house of an H. H. Husk, whom three 
men attacked for "money and a price " and whose 
"blood" was "under the cellar stairs," and I 
wonder how far back in time that may have 
occurred, and why should the wandering spirit 
have taken advantage of a stranger's knowledge of 
communication through planchette to hint at his 



238 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

probably unknown or forgotten tale of woe ! Or 
was it only a "mischievous" spirit's "yarn "got- 
ten up to make me wonder when I came to know 
how common that name was in that town? 

I close this chapter of planchette's doings under 
my hands with an extract from the article before 
quoted, showing my own conclusions at that 
time — conclusions which my later experience in 
automatic writing has somewhat changed : 

"Desirous of thinking more highly of my 
departed friends, and not caring to renew my 
acquaintance with them, at least until I myself 
shall be reduced to their apparently diluted 
condition of mind and body, I have not the 
slightest faith in the spiritual origin of the things 
described by Spiritualists, yet I 'must give my 
impartial evidence that such things are from 
whatever source they may emanate and hoping 
earnestly for the day when these things shall all 
be explained scientifically and reasonably." 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 239 



CHAPTER XVI. 

MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 

As occasionally our unseen friends suggested a 
change in the wording of our questions, or 
expressed a wish that we ask them certain ques- 
tions, we sometimes at the beginning of a sitting 
asked that questions be suggested from their side, 
to which once came the reply: 

A. — Spiritual ideas are so foreign to delegated 
co-laborers on your plane that we suggest that all 
queries come from points of phases viewed by you. 

Again : 

I requested them to ask some thought- arousing 
question. 

A. — Can you with your circumscribed environ- 
ments hope to grasp in completion all phases of 
continued life? 

If we failed to put our questions clearly, though 
we ourselves fully understood the import, very 
often, instead of the expected answer, would be 
written such corrections as these: "Can't quite 
understand, your sentences are too confused;" 
"Spirit wants stated questions;" "Your thought 
is all right, but your wording is obscure." "Word 
your question more clearly," etc. 

Indeed our spirit friends have at no time during 
their communications hesitated to find fault with 
us on many points. Sometimes they found fault 
with us after this fashion : 



240 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — You are too arbitrary in your demands — you 
are as bigoted in your way as other mortals are 
in theirs, which you condemn. 

Again : 

A. — Bhama meets us too captiously. If the 
most cranky thinker in earth-form called upon 
him at his home he would treat him with patient 
courtesy ; but because we cannot appear to him in 
sense objectivity he does not treat his more 
spiritual friends with the courtesy he awards to 
far lower intelligences clothed in mortal vestments. 
Good-night. 

Another time they closed the sitting in like 
petulant manner, writing — 

A. — When B. F. U. is in a less artificial mood, 
we, his spirit friends and co-laborers, will be glad 
to come into rapport — to-night it seems impossible. 

Once when I had worded a question in a way 
they did not like, I was told of my fault in this odd 
style : 

A. — You are vague in the manner of mouthing 
your withinness. 

One of their own questions was this: 

Won't you tell us what your ideas of angelic 
beings are? Don't go to explaining what the 
orthodox angels seem to be, but tell us what you 
think angels are? 

One evening they opened the sitting with: 

All are now waiting to get some of B. P. U.'s 
conundrums. 

When asked a question in regard to some worldly 
affairs we were told to — 

Work with the wardens of other spheres to know 
about such questions. 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 241 

Again when we asked of them: 

Q. — Is there not some personal message you 
would like to send through us? 

A. — Personalities are of but little account on our 
plane, the Whole of Being is what most interests 
the thinkers here. 

One evening this was written : 

Remember that we are using your mediumistic 
powers in behalf of those with whom you are 
identified. 

Q. — Whom do you mean as being identified with 
us ? 

A. — Literary agnostics and pseudo- thinkers. 

On another date the writing opened with, 

Bold, stalwart thinkers are here. 

Q. — We will be pleased to hear from such. 

A. — Glad to be welcomed by Agnostics like you. 

Q. — Who are you? 

A. — A spiritual friend. 

Q. — What do you mean by calling us Agnostics 
— what does that word mean to you ? 

A. — Philosophically, Agnostic means on the 
border line between Spiritualism and Materialism, 

Q. — Do spirits understand the reasonableness 
from our point of view of the Agnostic attitude of 
mind ? 

A. — Nature as viewed by sense perceptions gives 
no word of spiritual insight. Blessed are those 
whose spiritual intuitions bring them in rapport 
with those of us interested and eager to enlist 
souls like you two, now and forever in the progress 
of souls. 

Q. — Do spiritual beings live like us in space of 
three dimensions ? 

A. — Space of dimensions pertains to matter, and 
beings outside of matter's limitations cannot 



242 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

answer your pertinent questions with clear cut 
meaning to those on your plane of three dimen- 
sions. Oh, shall you not sometimes wonder at 
your own blinded perceptions when your eyes are 
opened ! 

Q. — Will you then indicate what trend of 
thought will be of most use to us until larger 
knowledge is possible ? 

A. — Ye should both essay to put into practice 
the modicum of spiritual teaching we are able to 
impart. 

Q. — Won't you state specifically what that 
modicum is ? 

A. — Patience with the limitations of less favored 
pupils — spiritual aspiration individually, humility 
because of these soul communications, and knowl- 
edge of the power of Love. 

Q. — What is one of the leading requisites in the 
study of spiritual things ? 

A. — Spiritual teachers and thinkers must see 
clearly the struggle between the bondage of Mate- 
rialism and the freedom of Spirit. 

Q. — Will you state briefly the distinction between 
the bondage of Materialism and the freedom of 
Spirit ? 

A. — Spiritual life is freedom from material 
bonds. 

Q. — But living in material environments as we 
do, how can we escape material bondage while in 
this form? 

A. — Thou shalt presently know that sense bonds 
are not superior to spirit even when in the flesh. 

Q. — How do you manage to communicate with 
us now ? 

A. — Sir, your aspirations put us on your plane, 
and we are able to get in rapport with your mind, 
because that mind is a judicial one, and we 
recognize the spirit of amity. We all wish to 
give you atoms of being sure evidence of continued 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 243 

existence, but ah ! the conditions and environments 
change everything which otherwise could be made 
clear. 

Q. — Are all those in your sphere able to com- 
muuicate with people on earth, or are certain 
individuals chosen for that mission ? 

A. — Yes, as men and women are chosen to enter 
into a larger life, because they are adapted to its 
requirements. 

Q. — And are those here with whom you can 
communicate also chosen because of their adapta- 
bility ? 

A. — Should you stop to think a little, your own 
common sense would insist upon an affirmative 
answer. 

Q. — For what reason were you, who now write 
us, chosen ? 

A. — Have done our best to bring around this 
state of knowledge. 

Q.- — How is this choice made ? 

A. — Bands of all those desirous of scientific 
research are formed, and those best adapted to 
become mediums are set apart to devote themselves 
to perfecting soul communion with those in the 
flesh. 

Q. — Are your associations for scientific research 
somewhat like the societies of psychical research 
on our earth ? 

A. — Yes, but so very different, because of the 
changed conditions. 

Q. — What are some of the conditions necessary 
for communication between your plane and ours? 

A. — Conditions depend considerably upon those 
whom your needs will call upon. None are 
allowed to control who are not for some cause 
anxious to get into communication with those left 
behind. 

Q. — Are all spirits on your sphere able to 
answer correctly all our questions ? 



244 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A. — There are among us those who make special 
inquiry into all new steps in intellectual progress, 
and it will be necessary to summon each of these 
in turn to answer different questions. 

Q. — How shall we know of whom to ask these 
questions ? 

A. — We will go over that among ourselves, and 
will let you know to whom to apply, and when. 

Q. — Will such communications be of real benefit 
to us ? 

A. — Receive gain by showing you what is 
possible. Perhaps, we cannot tell until we try. 
Receive what we are told to say to you by our 
superiors more in sympathy with you than we are. 

When some unimportant message was given in 
regard to a former acquaintance, we asked that 
she would give us her impressions as to her 
change. The intelligence in charge answered 
thus : 

A. — Your friend S. would be as surprised at 
such questions by us, as her living sister would be 
surprised if you asked her philosophic questions 
in regard to that which to you is normal and 
legitimate. 

Q. — Do you wish us to infer that not all spirits 
understand that communication by writing is 
possible between their sphere and ours ? 

A. — Why, most certainly — and often two or 
three phases of development are necessary to 
make such initiated. 

Q. — Can you tell us if the change called death 
is always toward betterment, intellectually and 
morally ? 

A. — Spirits are all more happy than mortals ; 
supreme love rules, and spirit knows not the 
sorrows of matter. 

Q. — In your sphere is there anything analogous 
to the class distinctions among men ? 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 245 

A. — Distinctions are made on this plane as on 
yours, but on a different basis. Voice of the 
people don't count with us as with you ; genuine 
qualities are more the standard than appearances. 
Was not clean living a help to you on your plane 
even when you seemed unsuccessful so far as mere 
commercial value went ? 

Q. — Do all spirits progress on leaving this 
plane ? 

A. — There are some who may never reach a 
higher plane ; who change and change for ages 
without real progress. 

Q. — That does not seem to us right or true. It 
seems to us that there should always be progress 
possible for every soul ? 

A. — Yes ; but if we should give a charitable 
hope for such as these who are now over on your 
side but defining the limitations absolutely 
necessary, you would say from your narrow view 
that our explanation was incomplete and unjust — 
but we are in a position to see further than it is 
given you to see. 

Another evening — holding pen in hand to see if 
writing could be obtained, this sentence was at 
once written : 

States of consciousness are often produced by 
evil spirits who delight to dupe sense-mortals. — 
Pharos. 

Q. — How can we ourselves guard against them ? 

A. — Spurn low associations. Forbid gossiping 
spirits. Show petty spirits how growth may be 
obtained spiritually. Help the higher spirits by 
working with them. 

After several trials at requests of friends to try 
and obtain communications for them from their 
relatives, which attempts were generally of no 



246 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

avail, we gave up such attempts which, when 
made, elicited only such answers as the following : 

Q. — Why do you not answer our appeal to you 
on behalf of M. L. , that she may hear from her 
friends ? 

A. — Shall not we who are in rapport with all 
spiritual entities such as the soul whose earth 
name you speak, know more fully than your short 
sight can guess at, the spiritual need of silence 
from our side, though desire and earthly longing 
would break and cancel all spiritual law ? Should 
not a spiritualistic mortal like the sweet soul you 
mention be disciplined to wait the proper hour for 
spirit communication ? 

Again : 

A. — You wish to dictate where you are ignorant 
of the laws which govern inter-communication 
between yourselves and those passed to a new 
phase of existence, but the proper spirit in which 
to make inquiries of this sort, should be that of 
serious and earnest answer to our words of 
questioning, and thoughtful consideration of our 
meaningful answers. 

On a different occasion when we pressed to be 
told something in regard to another of these, 
receiving indefinite replies, we asked : 

Q.— Please tell us something definite in regard 
to this person, such as we can report, or explain 
why you cannot do so ? 

A. — Soul states depend on spiritual laws which 
your material environments do not, and cannot 
explain. You ask us to give you in a word explan- 
ations far beyond your powers of comprehension 
and beyond our stage of expression to give. 

Q. — Are you always in such direct communica- 
tion with our plane that you are ever aware of 
what occurs among us ? 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 247 

A. — All our knowledge of mortal doings is given 
us from communion with the minds of the mortal 
individuals with whom we can get into rapport. 

At the beginning of a sitting one evening this 
came first : 

Wouldn't affirm that communications to-night 
shall be from thinkers. 

Q. — But we would prefer to hear from thinkers? 

A. — Were not those who have called upon you 
within the week spiritually one with you, yet 
intellectually were they not on far different 
knowledge planes ? 

Now only two persons had called on us during 
that week, regarding whom this statement was 
decidedly true ; though I should never have dis- 
tinctly thought of them in just the way stated, yet 
I recognized immediately the truth in this way of 
putting it, but interested to find out how they 
would explain the statement I asked, ' ' What do 
you mean by that ?" Mr. U., who had recognized 
the fitness of the statement in regard to these par- 
ticular callers, began to explain to me what he 
thought I did not understand, but I said, "Wait ! I 
wish to know their own explanation." 

A. — That means that what you don't wait for 
B. F. U. to affirm, is most emphatically true — that 
spiritual insight may be equal in those who look 
from greatly differing intellectual standpoints. 

Before beginning a sitting one evening we had 
been speaking of Florence Marryatt's book on 
Spiritualism, and her Catholic faith. 

Q. — Since the Catholic church makes the month 
of October sacred to the devotion to angels, does 



248 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

not that imply that it believes in the essential 
truths of Spiritualism ?" 

A. — Belief in man's oneness with the soul of 
Being — the unfathomable, illimitable Allness, 
forms part of every form of faith which can take 
hold strongly of humanity. The Catholic faith is 
no exception to this rule, and because of its Virgin 
birth of man's Saviour, born direct of spirit, causes 
a deeper, stronger hold on the masses who dimly 
feel without philosophizing, that a spiritual prin- 
ciple rules through all mystery. 

Mr. XL, who had asked the question to which 
this answer was given, now said what I had not 
known, that he had just written an article which 
had this question for its basis, and now he wished 
to know whether the thought came from his mind 
or from that of the intelligence through my hand. 

A. — Souls in sympathy express themselves often 
in like lines of thought, aiding and suggesting 
when either side feels at a loss. Therefore, 
B. F. U.'s editorial note formed part of a symphony 
of thought expression. 

I here playfully said that in this " symphony " I 
was apparently only a tool, as nothing was said of 
my share in writing it. 

A. — Shared equally with us, and with you. 

Q. — Can you tell us which is nearer truth, 
Theosophy or Spiritualism? 

A. — Both Theosophy and Spiritualism contain 
germs of soul truth, but your sphere is so en warped 
with phantasms that we who are cognizant of 
Being's realities may not spiritually explain what 
to us is very clear. 

Q. — Do we not gain higher inspiration from our 
books at home than by joining societies for mutual 
culture ? 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 249 

A. — Books are the soul of humanity, the essence 
of civilization. Your question goes to show that 
good may come up afresh from distant sources. 

Q. — But is there not much also to be gained by 
discussions of the questions of the day in these 
societies? 

A. — Clamor of minds is as the clash of arms in 
ancient tournaments — necessary to draw attention 
to deep thinking and high living. 

Q. — Will our love of music, never fully gratified 
here, be satisfied when we reach your state? 

A. — Soul will find expression through music 
here. Your love of rhythm, and of the sacred 
symphonies of music will be satisfied when you 
join us. 

B. F. U. — Why is Sara so exceedingly fond of 
flowers? 

A. — Flowers are the essence of sensuous Spirit- 
ualism, and she, and all who like her are in 
sympathy with the beautiful models given as 
symbols to human souls, are forced to recognize 
the Divine atoms of Being in whatever form 
manifested. 

Q. — What do you mean by Atoms of Being? 

A. — By this term we desire to state as clearly as 
possible in your circumscribed voicing the relation 
your ephemeral state holds to the great All- of - 
Being. Flowers are atoms of Being in sharing 
with all other atoms persistence toward the source 
whence they emanate. 

Q. — What does what we name "beauty" mean to 
those on your plane? 

A. — Beauty is only a word formulated by you to 
express the secret of spiritual soul-life. You feel 
deeply the power of spirit love, and that which 
your limited language names Beauty — which to us 
means Radiance of spirit — the effulgence of Loving- 
ness — the riotous waste of loving energy every- 



250 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

where cropping out — that you call Beauty. In 
spirit spheres it is called Love! 

On a recent evening communication was opened 
in these words: 

Thirst for spiritual draughts of wisdom is shown 
by your wish for words from our side. 

Q. — Will you indicate what you would prefer to 
be the programme for this evening? 

A. — Spiritual tests of divine knowledge will be 
given if cared for. 

Q. — Please indicate what you would prefer as the 
subject? 

A. — Shall not the words of the poet Pope be 
given as evidence of spirit power? 

Q. — To What words do you refer? 

A.— Lend, lend your wings— I mount, I fly, 
O, Grave where is thy Victory? 
O, Death where is thy Sting? 

Q. — Please then give us your definition of what 
we here name Death ? 

A. — Death is the password and ticket which will 
give to those earth-born and troubled with the 
mysteries of your sphere, the open sesame to 
spheres of Being of which you have not yet been 
given the libretto. 

Q. — Are there changes of form or feelings which 
correspond with what we term Death, in the life 
beyond this? 

A. — Thou sayest words which are full of meaning 
to those who are anxious to teach such as you and 
Bhama what little of spirit wisdom is here given. 
Forms often change when higher spheres open to 
such as you, but the bitterness of pain elaborated 
through your sense-born state is never repeated on 
higher planes, which give higher experiences of 
pleasureable evolution as you grow upward. 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 251 

B. F. U.— Has the doctrine of Karma as taught 
by the Theosophists any basis in fact? 

A. — Will Bhama succinctly state his idea of what 
the word Karma means? 

Q.— That every person's happiness or suffering 
is the natural and just result of that person's 
pre-existent lives. 

A. — Plans of lives then you think, are arranged 
without consulting the individualistic Atoms of 
Being who are to serve as awful examples of 
depravity, or the rarer beings like Emerson, who 
show fullness of spiritual flower and fruit? 

Q. — That would seem to be the Theosophical 
idea — but I am not now expressing my individual 
idea. 

A. — Showest thou that the philosophies of 
mortal atoms are filled with unproven and unprov- 
able vagaries which such as thou and our scribe 
Sara should put far away when we are ready to 
give you the truth. 

Q. — Will you then please give us in brief the 
truth in relation to the doctrine of Karma? 

A. — The truth of Karma is most briefly stated in 
the words of our elder brother that ' 'whatsoever a 
man soweth that shall he also reap." 

Q. — Does that mean that there is no progression 
after the change of death? 

A. — No — most emphatically — but progress does 
not imply that "becoming" or evolution, may not 
include also remorseful efforts to overcome the 
victories of the animalistic nature — by means of 
retributive payment of just debts. 

Q. — Have you anything more to say on the sub- 
ject of Karma tonight? 

A. — More some other time. This is a question 
of far more import than you yet understand, but 
we here are not yet clear about it, and so would 
prefer to defer its discussion until we ourselves 
re-open it. 



252 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS.— [Continued. 



WOEDS OF CHEEK. 

Though your friendly soul is sad — 
Fear not — out from this muddled age, 
Shall come the best that may be had 
To teach those yet upon earth's stage 

That through earth's mysteries there runs 
A thread of God-like symphony, 
Which makes for Eighteousness, as suns 
In universes show how free 

And true the power of Love divine 
Goes on and on with no surcease ; 
Should not the power of spirit shine 
As strong, to give pure souls' release 

From earthly bonds of prisoning power, 
Which strong assert their lower state ; 
And bind with thongs the worst and lower 
Earth elements which keep from great 

And high achievement, earnest souls 
Who've wakened to the Spirit call ; 
The troubled ones who seek the goals 
Which are the ultimate of all 

Whose quest has been the higher spheres 
Of Spirit, seeking spirit aims, 
The sweet love-sharing, daring, tiers 
Of Spirits whose accepted claims 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 253 

Of larger knowledge, higher powers — 
And Love beyond earth's small area ; 
Shall soon give mortals larger dowers 
Of heavenly wisdom in earth's sphere. 

Shall not we now bid you Good-night 
Our grateful, willing, earthly friend ; 
Whose worldly paths may lead to light, 
And whose last doubt may through us end 

In spiritual faith too strong to doubt 
One statement from our higher point 
Of view — whence we look in and out 
Beyond your world so out of joint. 

The above poem, which was written rapidly by 
my hand without any pause for thought, was given 
in response to my mood of sadness and discourage- 
ment on that evening. It was all new and 
beautiful to my mind as the rhythmic verses 
appeared one after another without pause ; and I 
wish to call the reader's attention to the fact that 
the end of each verse, save the seventh and last, 
leaves the sense of the thought conveyed 
unfinished, necessitating another verse ; nor could 
I from the last word of one verse make any correct 
guess as to what the opening words of the succeed- 
ing one would likely be. A friend who read this 
poem before its publication, thought the rhythm 
and thought savored of Tennyson, but Pharos is 
the only author so far as I know. 

In view of the constant assertions made by our 
unseen friends that life's bitterest trials are but 
ephemeral, and that viewed from their standpoint 
what we call evil is really good in another guise. 



254 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

I asked one evening when Boehme purported to be 
in control, how he viewed his own earthly sorrows 
now ? 

A. — Bitter was the cup which spiritual powers 
compelled me to drink when on your plane. In 
the light of my higher knowledge on this plane, I 
am only sorry that even more bitter draughts 
were not offered me while with such as you, to 
give blessed cause for the joys I now experience. 
Be of good cheer, children of truth, ye shall reap 
tenfold what ye sow in tears and fearfulness. 

Bearing in mind the frequent statements from 
this source that spirit sympathy counted for more 
in spiritual spheres than mere blood relationship 
and recalling the family misunderstandings which 
attended the lives of many men and women of 
genius, I asked : 

Q. — Can you make clear to me the spiritual 
reasons of the misunderstanding by blood relations 
of such superior souls as Elizabeth Barrett Brown- 
ing, George Eliot, Percy Shelley, George Sand, 
Coleridge and others ? 

A. — Superior souls born to earth-life with blood 
spontaneous of lower spheres, are so environed to 
test their worthiness for higher spheres of relation- 
ship when realized conditions are arrived at by 
reason of change of form. 

Q. — How shall we best get at the truth in 
spiritual matters ? 

A. — By greater spiritual perception of virtue, 
wisdom, love — philosophical weighing of evidence 
— try the spirits — use human judgment and reason 
in spiritual matters. 

S. A. U. — Can you tell us what is the best way 
to reach the higher spirit spheres ? 

B. F. U . — It isn't at all likely that there is any 
short cut to them. 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 255 

A. — Love for all humanity is the " short cut." 

Q. — It is not then the intellect so much as the 
heart — the affectional part of our nature which 
developes spirituality ? 

A. — Intellectual development depends largely 
upon the love element for sustenance and power. 

Q. — Salvation then comes through love ? 

A. — Salvation through love always — never 
through mere philosophic attainments. 

Q.— What is love ? 

A. — Soul essence. 

Q. — What do you understand by the word ' 'God?" 

A. — God means only Being. 

Q. — What is goodness ? 

A. — Growing toward the Light. 

Q. — Are spirits in all spheres happy ? 

A. — Spirits are all more happy than mortals. 
Supreme Love rules, and spirit knows not the sor- 
rows of matter. 

Still many times intimations were given of lower 
planes less happy than the higher. One charac- 
teristic communication of this sort came from one 
whom Mr. U. had casually met in a business way 
while living, and after some words of a personal 
nature, came this : 

A. — Bold thinkers like you don't understand 
with what strange curiosity poor fellows who had 
no chance to read or think, like me, try to find out 
in our new sphere why things are as they are. 

Again, when some unimportant message was 
given in regard to a former acquaintance, we asked 
that she would give us her impressions as to her 
change. The intelligence in charge answered 
thus : 

Your friend S. would be as surprised at such 
questions by us, as her living sister would be sur- 



256 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

prised if you asked her philosophic questions in 
regard to that which, to you is normal and legit- 
imate. 

Q. — Do you wish us to infer that not all spirits 
understand that communication by writing is pos- 
sible between their sphere and ours ? 

A. — Why, most certainly — and often two or three 
phases of development are necessary to make such 
initiated. 

B. F. U. — Why does not R. C. U. now commun- 
icate some word to me through Sara, since he cared 
so much for me when here ? 

A. — He is drawn to others of the family, where 
his presence is of more avail. 

When asked how he felt when he realized his 
transition, one wrote : 

A. — When I woke up from my state of uncon- 
sciousness and found that only a change of form 
and conditions had occurred in the transition which 
we call death, I was so surprised that I had an idea 
that I was insane. 

Another was asked : 

Q. — Can you give us some information as to your 
new life — is it better than earth life ? 

A. — Have not words to explain ; it's better, but 
you wouldn't guess how. 

Q. — Are you troubled about leaving your little 
boy behind ? 

A. — We don't worry about folks here, as we do 
when men and women as you are. 

Once when Mr. U. was writing a question, he 
asked : 

Q. — Can you read the question I am now writing? 
A. — Not as on paper — but as dimly defined in 
your mind. 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 257 

Q. — Then you can read our minds ? — in what way? 
A. — Mind at once assimilates with mind — objec- 
tive forms are media. 

An odd incident of the automatic writing was as 
follows : In the early part of my experience 
among many varying chirographics written by my 
pen, there frequently appeared a queer sort of 
writing which I had never seen anything like, and 
only once since in some signatures obtained by 
another automatic writer who has never seen my 
specimens. I call it spiral writing, because each 
letter is made by spiral movements of the pen, 
instead of going straightly as in common writing. 
Much of this I could not myself read, though occa- 
sionally a word would be very plain. One day I 
wished to write something, having been requested 
to do so, on "The Sphere of Woman." It occurred 
to me that I might try to get the ideas of- some 
greater thinkers than myself on the subject, and I 
wrote down on a piece of paper the names of an 
equal number of men and women now on the other 
side of life, who I knew had been, while here, 
interested in the woman question — such as John 
Stuart Mill, Harriet Martineau, etc., and hoped 
to get something characteristic from some of these 
in the evening when Mr. U. was present, as I can 
not get communications by myself. I did not in 
this list put the name of Victor Hugo, although I 
knew of his interest, for the reason that his name 
did not once occur to my mind. 

When evening came I took out this list, read 
aloud the names written there and asked if any of 
these were present, then waited pen in hand for 



258 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

developments. The pen began at once to move, 
making large letters in the spiral manner and 
wrote so that each word went nearly across the 
page as follows : 

ONLY 

VICTOR 

HUGO. 

The forcefulness of this characteristic rebuke of 
my utter forgetfulness of this ardent yet self- 
conscious friend of my sex, struck me with 
astonishment — it was so unexpected ! 

But though Victor Hugo or whoever took his 
name and characteristics had the floor — or the pen 
— for that evening (as no other writers came) yet 
all the expression of his ideas in regard to woman's 
sphere was given in one sentence in smaller spiral 
letters : 

The sphere of woman widens with the progress 
of the race. 

It may be interesting to give here a few replies 
in regard to certain thinkers, as a sample of many 
such, which of course are not accepted as authori- 
tative, though provocative of thought : 

Q. — Did G. H. Lewes during his lifetime know 
anything in regard to such spirit spheres as you 
describe ? Did he believe in continued existence ? 

A. — Lewes was not given power to understand, 
but he did noble work — all the nobler that he 
worked in the dark. 

Q. — How was it with George Eliot ? 

A. — George Eliot hoped. She did not know ; 
she did not deny. 

H. — What, from your point of view, do you think 
of Herbert Spencer's philosophy? 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 259 

A. — Spencer is working- on spurious grounds. 
He is very helpful, but he is working blindly from 
want of correct data. 

When it is remembered that the only two persons 
present when the foreging was written were far 
from supposing or believing that Spencer works 
from incorrect data, the answer is the more surpris- 
ing. 

Q. — Will you tell us from your point of view who 
is the most spiritual thinker America has pro- 
duced?" 

A. — Rest assured that when we are sure that 
America has produced one zone of thinkers wherein 
shines one star preeminent, we will gladly name 
the star. 

This reply was entirely unexpected, as I had in 
mind Emerson, and thought likely that name would 
be written. When, however, we asked if they would 
name some who had "most nearly approximated 
to high spiritual truth," the following names were 
given: ' 'Emerson, John Brown, Theodore Parker, 
Wendell Phillips, Wm. Lloyd Garrison, Charles 
Sumner. Ask who were most useful?" 

Q. — Well, who were the most useful thinkers of 
America? 

A. — Searchers after real truths; such as Thomas 
Paine, Channing, Parker, Lydia Maria Child, 
Margaret Fuller and others akin. 

All the names given most certainly would not be 
the leading names in a list of my own choice. The 
intelligence writing seeming to be in sympathy 
with the leading radical thinkers of an earlier time. 

Q.— Will our friend L. who is here so deeply 



260 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

interested in philosophical and scientific questions 
but yet rejects scornfully the possibility of con- 
tinued existence, ever become convinced while here 
of spirit return? 

A. — He eventually must be one with us, but he 
is prejudiced by pride of mortal learning. Pride is 
the hardest thing to overcome in mankind. 

Q. — What is your explanation of pride? 

A. — Pride is the outcome of narrowness of 
spiritual vision, a hardening, so to speak, of the 
moral nature. 

Q. — What is- the cause of pride? 

A. — Short-sightedness of intellect. 

APHORISMS. 



will be seen the Socratic method of conversational 
question and answer has been mainly observed — 
are many pithy sentences detached from the 
general communications. I give here a few of 
those I have preserved : 

Bow not at command of spirit, in the flesh or out. 

Shun alliance with all who have only self in 
view. 

Souls worthy of control must show courage. 
Troy was not gained in one battle. 

Search for truth during the year now opening 
and fear not to speak when found. Search yet 
further and ye shall penetrate spiritual wonders. 
Your spirit of obedience to the truth will lead you 
to the light. 

Saul of Tarsus was as strong in opposition to 
spirit law as ye were, yet spirit power made him, 
spite of his own counter will, the Apostle of 
Apostles of Christianity. So shall it be with you. 

All who are in accord with great truths must 
ever receive contempt from guessers at the 
realities. 



MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. 261 

True friends are those who know us for what 
we are. 

Agitate ! Round goes the world, and round go 
ideas. 

Ever denial does arouse children to amend their 
ways. 

Soul passes through many phases, but each pro- 
gressive phase gives new light as to the possibili- 
ties of the Me and higher spheres. 

The self-conceit of mortal man 
Is but a part of the eternal plan. 

Elevate as much as you can, render good for 
evil, slender as the opportunities are. Be faithful 
to your best ideals and good will come. 

Ever goes on the work of years, though seen not 
of all. 

Philosophers are universal souls — creations of 
universal helpfulness. 

On our side, truths of existence called super- 
natural, are not above nature, but are most surely 
in the line of orderly evolution. 

Shames and sorrows are the most essential 
points of earth's discipline of soul, therefore shrink 
not from your personal ordeals which must guide 
to happiness. 

Bear in mind that what you call value with us is 
valueless. 

Elevate, even if you are anathemized — elevate 
mankind by more loving modes of thinking. 

Well said the thinker of old, that no man who 
tells truth can buy friendship. 

You will find that human reason is so limited 
that it is far from infallible — many links apparent 
here are missing from your patched chain. 

Eons must pass before Emersonian conduct can 
be expected of all. 

Truth is Lord of all. 

Blessed are all who seek wisdom. 

Barren souls are full of doubt, but lovers of 



262 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

truth will ever grow nearer to spiritual enlighten- 
ment. 

Love toward all, even the meanest of your kind, 
is the highest truth. 

Selfish aims crave food which no good spirit can 
satisfy. 

Slay not your spiritual opportunity by carping 
self conceit. 

Wonders must ever awaken criticism and 
antagonism. 

Show no wrath at stunted spirit perceptions — 
good -nature ever prevails. 

Wasn't he the best son, who altho' he said that 
he was burdened with many cares and could not do 
what was asked of him, yet on reconsideration 
concluded to do as his sense of justice demanded? 

Who changes worlds will be spared many cares. 

Blessed are all those who divine their mental 
allies. 

Waste not tears o'er hours miss spent, 
But strive more strongly to prevent 
Ghosts of errors to withdraw 
Earnest workers from Love's law. 



Storms within the soul's area 
Stand as spirit pointers clear 
Showing where thy compass fails 
Soul force to work with close-reefed sails. 



Love is life— and gained, you'll heed 
No more the silly worldlings greed 
Of wealth which dies; like rainbow hues 
Changes while the gazer views. 



Comfort still may yet be found 
Within the range where you are bound: 
Throw off the gainful bonds of pelf — 
Eise, soul, above the plane of self! 



PSYCHIC INCIDENTS. 263 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

SOME PSYCHIC INCIDENTS. 



WAS IT A WARNING ? 

A certain experience which accurred to me at a 
time when I had no belief in spirit existence 
always puzzled my mind, so that when my thought 
recurred to it I was wont to think : "Well, if I 
could believe in spiritual warning I should say 
that was a case in point." 

Late in the autumn of 1871 I was returning from 
California where I had accompanied Mr. U. on one 
of his lecturing trips. At Cheyenne he left me, 
having engagements at Denver and other places, 
which, having visited on the outward trip, I did 
not care to accompany him to, as I was tired of 
travel and anxious to return home. A group of 
us east-bound tourists, strangers to each other 
before and after that time, affiliated as travelers 
often do, and kept in the same party until in 
approaching Chicago our routes diverged. In the 
few days we were thus, thrown together, I had got 
to know the names and something of the history 
of each of these, but as was my habit when thus 
traveling, while social as the others, I had 
revealed nothing in regard to my own affairs, 
personal history or ultimate destination, save 
perhaps my last name — possibly not even that. 

How well I recall each individual of that pleasant 
group ! There was an elderly man, a long time 



264 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

widower, whose refined and cultured manners did 
not proclaim that he had lived for a number of 
years in Western mining towns, where he had 
acheived at least independence and had established 
his two sons in good professions and was now on 
his way east to visit his two daughters whom he 
had left in the care of a relative to be thoroughly 
educated and whom he had not seen since they 
were little girls, though now they were young 
ladies ; then there was a bright and pretty young 
married woman from Ashtabula, who had been 
away a year in the California mountains to recover 
her health, and was now returning to her husband 
and little child, and the young Californian who on 
a visit the year before to his home in New York 
had wooed and won a charming girl — at least he 
told us so — and was then on his way to make her 
his bride. He took especial pains, I remember, to 
keep his really fine complexion in good order for 
the wedding day by carefully shielding it from 
winds and sun with a green veil which he wore 
when out prospecting at stations where there was 
any delay, and took advantage of such delays also 
to send messages to his lady-love. 

Last was "Annie," an irrepressible California 
girl just passed into her teens, whom our party 
took charge of when we noticed her reckless 
patronage of the peanut venders and booksellers 
on the train, and found her lying asleep in her 
seat in the middle of the day with an open pocket- 
book in her lap containing the last dollar she 
possessed to buy food for several days ahead, and 
her railroad ticket taking her only within a hundred 



PSYCHIC INCIDENTS. 265 

miles of her destination. She had lived from 
childhood with an aunt in California, but her 
mother in the East having married a second 
husband, "Annie," had been sent on alone to her. 
Sufficient money had been given her to buy food 
and the remainder of the fare, but it was her first 
experience with money and she accordingly 
squandered it. The miner promised to see that 
she reached her destination and the rest of us 
shared our meals with her. 

Of this group I was the first to leave, as I wished 
to visit some friends about one hundred miles west 
of Chicago, and to do so would be obliged to 
remain over Sunday at a lonely junction, as no 
trains ran Sunday on the road by which I must go 
to that place. 

The conductor on the train advised me not to 
stop at the Junction, but to get off at C, a large 
town in Iowa which we reached a few miles earlier, 
for said he, "though there's a kind of hotel there 
at the Junction, it isn't a good one and the place is 
lonely and your train won't come along until nine 
o'clock Monday morning." 

But as I remembered that at C, where I had 
never been, were some friends of Mr. U. who had 
often invited me to make them a visit, and who 
would feel hurt if they came to know I had passed 
a day there without calling on them, and I was in 
so dusty and dilapidated a condition from long 
days of traveling I did not care to see any one^ I 
concluded to go on to the Junction. 

We reached there Sunday morning about eight 
o'clock ; there were some changes to be made at 



266 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

this point and the train was delayed for a little in 
consequence, so the cars shut off one side of my 
view as I got out at a most decidedly lonely-look- 
ing station. I looked round for the "hotel" the 
conductor had spoken of, and the only house I 
could see was a somewhat large frame building, 
over the open front door of which the word 
"Restaurant" had been painted large, but had 
either faded out or been thinly painted, or white- 
washed over, but was still plainly discernable. 

I concluded that must be the apology for a hotel 
of which the conductor had spoken, so satchel in 
hand I walked over to it. There was a short, 
thick-set, poorly-dressed old man, with dull eyes 
and phlegmatic features walking up and down 
behind what had apparently once been a bar, but 
the shelves behind it were empty, as the room 
was. I hesitated, but as this was apparently my 
only refuge, I said inquiringly : 

"Is this the hotel ? 

"Yes, I suppose you may call it so," he replied. 

I stated my case and asked if I could get break- 
fast at once and stay over night. He led me into a 
room adjoining where a tall, gaunt, hard featured 
woman about fifty or sixty years old was smoking 
a short pipe while she was "trying" out lard from 
a recently-killed porker. He introduced her as his 
wife, and she looked me over quite interestedly 
and said she would get breakfast right away. I 
did not like the looks of the place, but saw no help 
for it and left my satchel there while I went back 
to the depot to see if my baggage had been put 
under shelter. 



PSYCHIC INCIDENTS. 267 

By this time the train had moved on, and I could 
see at quite a little distance on the other side 
another house of much better appearance, and just 
then a young, respectable looking fellow about 
eighteen appeared and asked if I wished to go to 
the hotel, pointing to the newly-discovered house. 
"Are there two hotels here?" I asked. "I under- 
stood there was but one, and I have ordered break- 
fast over there," indicating the dilapidated 
"Restaurant" in the distance. 

He looked at me strangely, I thought, and said, 
"I don't think you'd like to stay there Ma'am. 
They are queer people. You had better come to 
our house." 

"Come with me then," I replied, "and get my 
satchel- which I have left there, and I'll tell them 
I've changed my mind." 

As we started toward the "Restaurant" I noticed 
he seemed somewhat disturbed, then he remarked, 
"If you will bring the satchel out, Ma'am, I'll carry 
it over, but I'd rather not go in. As I told you 
they are queer folks and I don't want to get into 
trouble." 

I did not know what to make of it all, but I went 
in alone and said that I had been informed that the 
other house was the station hotel and had con- 
cluded to go over there and stay, when the woman 
broke out into a stormy talk, saying she had gone 
to the trouble of getting breakfast for me and the 
other house was jealous of their custom and I 
would be better dealt .with here than there, etc; 
so perceiving some truth in these statements, I 
concluded to save trouble by remaining, as it was 



268 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

only a matter of twenty-four hours, and I was used 
to putting up with inconveniences in my western 
travels, so I dismissed the "runner" for the other 
hotel who looked as if he wanted to say something 
further to me; but he walked quietly away. 

But I did get a good wholesome breakfast, din- 
ner and supper served, which helped do away with 
the annoying suspicions aroused by the woman's 
continual questioning as to the riches of California 
and Californians. I told her truthfully that both 
were overmuch rated, that there was much suffer- 
ing among common people there as elsewhere, but 
she looked as if she did not believe it. 

I was not really suspicious of this couple, but I 
did not like the atmosphere, and when at ten p. m. 
I was shown to my room upstairs — a small room 
uncarpeted, save one small rug in front of the old- 
fashioned corded bedstead, covered with shabby 
bedding, one window covered with a green paper 
curtain, one chair and a diminutive wooden stand 
its sole furniture, I was without any distinct worry 
regarding my lodging until the hostess as she 
opened the door remarked with a searching glance 
at me, "There ain't any lock to this door, but, we 
are all honest folks here, and you needn't be 
afraid." 

If she had not said that, I think I should not 
have taken the precautions which I did. My 
satchel contained the various odds and ends which 
I had learned to keep by me in traveling, among 
which were two pair of scissors, with one of these 
I secured the old -fashioned latch over the door and 
with the other the window. I noticed that the 



PSYCHIC INCIDENTS. 269 

kerosene lamp on the chair by the bedside was 
nearly full of oil and I had a well-filled match safe 
with me so I put some matches loose on the chair 
beside the lamp. 

Although so late and on a Sunday night, in a 
place where I could not discover any neighbors 
nearer than the other "hotel," and during the 
whole day no one had appeared in sight but the 
old couple, soon after I retired to my room I heard 
strange voices — two male voices apparently in 
conversation with the couple down stairs ; a little 
boisterous at first, but soon lowered, and finally 
after eleven o'clock all ceased and quietness 
reigned. 

I wondered somewhat, but concluded it might 
be other travelers seeking lodgings for the night. 
I was not actively suspicious, but only in a rather 
quiet state of guardedness, and as the sounds died 
away, I grew satisfied all was right, put out my 
light, and toward midnight fell into sleep. From 
this sleep I was awakened suddenly and in the 
strangest way. I seemed to be bounced upward 
by some strong force underneath the loosely 
corded bed ! 

I was wide awake in a moment and felt for the 
matches at the bedside, but before I could strike a 
light the same force was again exerted and I was 
bounced in a very vigorous fashion upward. My 
hands trembled as I tried to light the lamp and I 
let the short match burn my fingers rather than 
risk time to light another, for I was positively 
certain some large person was under my bed, and 
the moment the lamp was lighted I sprang out of 



270 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

bed, lamp in hand, and crouched by the wall 
opposite the bed fully expecting to meet the eyes 
of the intruder under the bed, which stood so high 
that I could plainly see every inch of the bare 
board floor underneath — but I could see nothing 
more. There was no one there ! I thought of a 
possible trap door and examined the floor carefully 
for trace of such, but there was none ! 

Just then I fancied I heard a light click at the 
door latch which resisted by reason of the scissors, 
then as I moved toward the door the sound of 
some one moving softly away in the next room, a 
sitting-room covered with thick rag-carpeting, 
and so down the stairs. I then looked at my watch 
and found it was near one o'clock. I slept no 
more and kept the light burning all that terribly 
long night, thankful that the pain of my burned 
finger helped me keep awake, though nothing 
more occurred. 

In those long and tedious hours I had time to 
think of the really precarious situation I was in 
should anything happen to me. Not a soul of my 
acquaintance could guess where I stopped off, as 
the stoppage of Sunday trains was a recent 
arrangement, otherwise I should have gone direct 
to my destination. None of my late traveling 
friends knew my full name, address or antecedents, 
and only the young clerk of the house some 
distance away, knew any one was stopping at the 
queer "Restaurant." All trace of me could and 
would have been lost. 

But when I went down stairs in the morning I 
was ready to laugh at my fears as the landlady 



PSYCHIC INCIDENTS. 271 

gave me a scrutinizing stare and said in a common- 
place way : 

' ' I hope yon slept well — did'nt hear anything in 
the night nor nothing, I suppose ?" 

"O dear no!" I answered lightly. "I had a 
fair night's rest." 

' ' I told ye so — we're all honest folk about here, 
you bet," she remarked. 

I was, however, glad to get away soon after 
breakfast before she saw the tell-tale lamp whose 
exhausted supply of oil would speak of my vigils. 
I was charged the best city hotel price for my 
entertainment, but saw no trace of the visitors of 
the night before, nor was any mention made of 
them. Of one thing, however, I was as sure as 
physical sensation could make me — that was of the 
reality of the queer bouncing or shaking up I had 
received. Never before or since have I experienced 
such sensations as those two strong upheavals 
gave me — and I wondered! 

Now my readers are ready to smile at my foolish 
scare — but let me relate the sequel. 

Several months later Mr. U. was lecturing at a 
town not far from the scene of my scare, and we 
were staying at the principal hotel there — not a 
large one — where also came many people from 
country farms and places within twenty miles to 
hear the lecture. One day at the dinner table 
a party of us were discussing hotel accommodations 
in different places and I told of my experience at 
the Junction, giving the name of the station and 
describing the old people, etc. One gentleman at 
the table looked at me strangely as I concluded. 



272 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

"I live near there," he said, "and I mnst tell 
you that you ought to think yourself a pretty lucky 
person to get off as well as you did. The old folks 
and two dare-devil sons used to keep a sort of 
rogues' headquarters for all sorts of bad characters, 
but just before the date of which you speak, the 
sheriff had arrested the sons for a bold robbery, 
for which they are now serving time, and ordered 
the place dismantled and shut up. There isn't 
money enough in this country, madam, to make me 
take the risks you did by staying in that hole." 

This, then, explained the empty shelves behind 
the deserted bar, the partly obliterated sign-board, 
and the young clerk's fear to enter and his warn- 
ing to me; also perhaps the late visitors who dare 
not be seen in the day time — but who can explain 
the strange upheaving force which woke me from 
sleep and which was the cause of my keeping 
awake ? I have thought of that incident very 
gravely and thankfully since I came to understand 
that we have interested friends in the unseen world 
as well as in the world of sense. 

FOUND THROUGH A DREAM. 

The lady to whom the following taken from my 
diary relates, is a good Baptist friend to whom the 
very name of Spiritualism is shocking, and who is 
entirely unacquainted with the modern experiments 
or experiences in psychic science. I took pains to 
ask about every point of her story after she related 
it to me, and wrote it out immediately, as follows: 

January 2, 1892, Mrs. O. stopped at my sitting- 
room door on her way down stairs this morning. 



PSYCHIC INCIDENTS. 273 

She held in her hand a small white paper box with 
a dark blue, almost black, label in the center, 
which she showed me as she told her story. She 
said that during Christmas week she had been 
exhibiting to some caller a couple of valuable rings 
which she had owned for years, but had given up 
wearing of late ; after her caller went away she 
carried them back to her bedroom upstairs intend- 
ing to put them in her jewelry case where she 
kept them, but before she could do so she was 
called down stairs suddenly, and hastily put them 
down somewhere, intending to return and put 
them away. 

When she thought of them again she supposed 
she had put them in their usual place. It happened 
that on the evening of the same day Mr. O. had 
occasion to look over some private papers which 
he kept in a large box in a closet in the bedroom. 
This box he always kept locked with the key in his 
possession. When he found the paper he wished 
he looked it over, then put it back in the box 
which he locked and returned to its usual place. 

On New Year's day, in consequence of wishing 
to put some new holiday gifts of jewelry in the 
box where she thought her rings were, Mrs. O. 
went to her jewelry box and was surprised to find 
the rings and the bit of soft pink wool on which 
she kept them, missing. She then remembered 
leaving the room hurriedly when she was going to 
replace them; so thinking she must have misplaced 
them, she searched the room and every other place 
she could think of, where they might be, all New 
Year's day, by spells, without finding them, and 



274 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Mr. O. helped her in the search, but nowhere could 
they be found. She went to bed that night very- 
much worried and perplexed about the matter. 

The next morning — this morning — she woke up 
suddenly about four o'clock when it was still dark 
with the recollection of a vivid dream strongly 
outlined in her mind. She dreamed of opening 
Mr. O. 's private box and seeing in it a small white 
paper box with a black label in the center. She 
noticed the black label with a start of fear, think- 
ing it might mean mourning for some one, but on 
opening the small box there lay on top the bit of 
pink wool on which she usually kept her rings, 
and lifting the wool she dreamed there lay her two 
missing rings. 

So vivid was the dream that, early as it was and 
the room very cold, she woke her husband, made 
him get her the key to the private box, and in her 
bare feet went to the closet where it was kept, 
opened it and the first thing which caught her 
eye on top was the little box she showed m and 
which was an unfamiliar one to her, and opening it 
the pink wool was found in it, with the rings under- 
neath, just as she had dreamed! 

Then, Mr. O. recalled that just as he was clos- 
ing his large box he had seen the bit of pink wool 
with the two rings laying carelessly in an open 
drawer; so for safety he put them in the little box 
which he found somewhere near, and threw it in 
the box with his private papers and locked the 
large box, intending to speak to Mrs. O. about her 
carelessness, but he found callers down stairs 
when he went, who stayed late, so the matter 



PSYCHIC INCIDENTS. 275 

escaped his mind, and he did not think of it again 
until the box and rings were found through her 
remarkable dream. The only difference in the 
dream and the facts being that the real box had a 
dark blue instead of the black label she was shown 
in her dream. 

At another time Mrs. O. related to me the 
particulars of another dream which was prophetic. 
She had for a number of years a valued servant to 
whom she was much attached because of her 
faithful service. The servant left her to marry a 
worthless sort of fellow, with whom she lived 
unhappily. Mrs. 0. kept track of her by spells, 
but after a long silence she one night dreamed 
that she saw "Mollie" lying very ill, and her 
body was dreadfully swollen, that soon she died, 
and when the coffin was brought it had to be 
brought up and carried out through the window, 
as the stairway was too narrow. 

This dream so worried Mrs. O. that she hunted 
" Mollie" up, found her sick with dropsy and near 
death, and she had been longing to see Mrs. O., 
but Mrs. O. having recently moved, could not send 
word. A week or two later she died, and the 
coffin was brought up and carried out through a 
window, much to Mrs. O.'s distress, who was 
present and thus saw her dream fulfilled. There 
were other incidents of this dream as remarkable 
as the one stated, but I have forgotten the particu- 
lars, not having written them down as told. 

Will we ever on this side of life, I wonder, get 
at a knowledge of the law underlying these 
prophetic and revealing dreams which we all 



276 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

know do occasionally occur, but which we, none 
of us can command ? Are they sent only occasion- 
ally to show us how limited the earth-life is, and 
to give us hints of the wider knowledge contained 
in the region of the unseen ? 

HOW DID HE HEAR AND SEE ? 

The present inquiry and investigation by 
scientific men in regard to the reality and cause of 
telepathic hearing and seeing, recall an incident 
which occurred within my knowledge some thirty 
years ago. It was so strange that it has always 
remained distinctly in my mind, although at that 
time I knew of no possible way to explain the 
occurrence as I had then no knowledge of any 
similar incident. 

One afternoon in a village in Massachusetts my 
mother who had considerable practical knowledge 
of childrens' ailments had been sent for by a 
neighbor to give advice in regard to the illness of 
a lad about seven years old, who had taken cold 
and seemed to be feverish. She was absent an 
hour or so. I was alone in the house when she 
returned, and engaged in reading. She sat down 
near me and soon I observed that she was deeply 
absorbed in thought with a very puzzled look in 
her eyes, so much so that she seemed almost oblivi- 
ous of my presence, and thinking the child might 
be seriously ill, I recalled her attention by asking 
as to his condition. She said he did not appear to 
be in any immediate danger though he seemed to 
have some fever, and his mind was a little wander- 
ing in consequence whenever he dropped asleep. 



PSYCHIC INCIDENTS. 277 

' ' But there was a very curious thing happened 
while I was there " my mother went on with a 
perplexed look — "and I don't know what to make 
of it at all. " Thereupon she related as follows : I 
must state first that the seven year old lad, Eddie, 
who was ill and who was a child of good and pacific 
inclinations, had a ten year old brother, Jimmie, 
who was of a mischievious disposition, and Eddie 
was constantly worried by his brother's actions 
when at play together. 

On this occasion Jimmie, the elder, was out 
somewhere at play, where or with whom his 
mother did not know. Busied with the sick child 
she was only too glad to have him out of the way. 
Eddie having been given some quieting medicine 
seemed dropping to sleep, when suddenly he 
startled the two watching women by springing 
from his pillow and crying excitedly ' ' Stop that ! 
Stop that, Jimmie ! Stop striking Georgie B., I 
say ! " His mother thinking he was dreaming, 
said — "You're dreaming, Eddie. See, Jimmie is'nt 
here — he's out doors at play somewhere." 

But the child, half crying with sympathy and 
distress as if he saw the scene, went on still 
excitedly — " Oh mamma, why don't you make him 
stop hurting Georgie ? See there ! he has thrown 
Georgie's hat over Mr. L's high fence and Georgie 
is crying so hard — You're a bad boy, Jimmie ! " 

The women pacified him soon and he dropped 
again into sleep — and both thought little of the 
matter save that a realistic dream had visited the 
the fevered brain. They both knew the little boy 
mentioned and knew the high fence spoken of was 



278 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

some two or three blocks away with a considerable 
number of houses intervening. But what made 
Eddie's dream so strange to them was that after 
just about the time it would take a boy to traverse 
the distance between the high fence spoken of and 
Eddie's home, the door-bell rang and Eddie's 
mother going to the door (which was within my 
mother's range of sight and hearing) was confronted 
by hatless, weeping, angry little Georgie B. who 
had run to tell Jimmie's mother of that bad boy's 
action in beating him and throwing his hat over 
Mr. L's high, close fence, where it was impossible 
for this abused lad to recover it without help. 

And this was the ^question that perplexed my 
mother. By what power came Eddie, even in a 
dream, to describe so perfectly at the moment of 
its occurrence a scene taking place such a distance 
away when he was sick in bed and no one present 
knew where in the village Jimmie might be stray- 
ing, nor who of all the village boys was his 
companion. We both thought it "very strange" 
and were obliged to let it pass at that. Will 
psychical science sometime in the near future 
enable us to explain satisfactorily this ignorant, 
simple child's experience ? 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 279 



CHAPTER XIX. 

CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 

If this volume reaches the people I most desire 
to reach — those who (like myself before these 
experiences came to me) are in a state of doubt in 
regard to continuity of existence and individual 
consciousness beyond the grave, I am sure that 
many of the assertions made to me through auto- 
matic writing will be received by such readers 
with much doubt. Earthly experience teaches us 
that anything out of the usual and common ruts of 
daily living, needs not only the avowed similar 
experiences of a few persons, but of a large number 
of sane, responsible and trustworthy individuals 
who have been proved hitherto truthful and level- 
headed in all the other transactions of life. 

All Spiritualists know full well that their faith 
no longer depends on individual testimony, or 
their own personal experiences — they know that 
"a great cloud of witnesses" has from time to 
time, and is now daily receiving in various forms 
of communication such as clairvoyance, clairaudi- 
enc3, direct voicing, trance condition, impersona- 
tions, impression, automatic and direct writing, 
and other ways — information of a like character 
with that contained in this book, varying only in 
the less or larger knowledge gained by spirits in 
different spheres and of differing degrees of 
intelligence or spirit education. 



280 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

For myself I did not in the beginning of this 
writing know this fact for a certainty by reason of 
my blindness, from lack of investigation of the 
subject, largely arising from the doubt produced 
in my mind by reading of the frauds perpetrated 
by those spiritual criminals, dishonest public 
mediums, who, like some clergymen, profess a 
religion for the money to be made out of it. 

I must own that my intellectual as well as spirit- 
ual vision and outlook have been wonderfully 
widened and enlarged through the writing given 
through my hand. I have been surprised over 
and over again by the new light thrown from this 
source upon many subjects. Even the old Bible 
has taken on new reading of familiar words by 
reason of it. But one of the pleasantest surprises 
to me has been the corroborative testimony I have 
lately found given through many different persons 
such as Andrew Jackson Davis, Prof. Robert Hare, 
Stainton Moses, Hudson Tuttle and many others, 
besides that found in the writings of the earlier 
mystics, like Paracelsus, Boehme and Swedenborg, 
not forgetting St. Paul — of all the intimations 
regarding spirit life and spheres, given through 
my hand independent of any previous ignorance 
and belief on the part of myself. All the matter, 
philosophy and ideas so new to me when thus 
written, I now find have been taught to many 
others from the spiritual side of life, in some such 
like mysterious manner as I myself have received 
them. 

As delightfully gratifying has it been to receive 
still further and quite as strong confirmation of 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 281 

similarity of spirit statements from a large number 
of sane, educated, thoughtful, truthful men and 
women, some of whom are more than commonly 
judicial and capable of weighing carefully the 
pros and cons on any subject; who since the publi- 
cation of my Arena article on "Psychic Experi- 
ences" have privately confessed to like experiences 
on their own part from which they had gained 
information similar in purport to that given in the 
earlier chapters of this book. 

There would be, of course, if my experience 
were wholly isolated in the method of its coming 
and the substance of its information, reason for 
very strong doubt of "its truth and consistency of 
statements; but in the face of this large and easily 
proven consensus of testimony of a like character, 
dating from far earlier times up to today, it cer- 
tainly proves itself a matter worthy of careful 
thought, not to be dismissed with the sneer of 
flippant scorn, or the jeering, easily adopted, 
laughter of ignorance. 

From the large number of letters containing 
contributions to the overwhelming mass of testi- 
mony obtainable in regard to the truth of spirit 
return, I give in this Chapter a few extracts out of 
the many letters received by me from those who 
are not public mediums and the most of whom are 
not generally known among their personal acquaint- 
ances as believers in Spiritualism : 

A lady in Michigan writes: 

"It was with great interest I read Mr. XL's 
article in the Arena describing your 'automatic' 
writing. The same phenomena had shown itself 



282 AUTOMATIC "WRITING. 

in my own case and it had caused me some physi- 
cal suffering. My best writing is done when I am 
entirely alone, yet I have tried a few tests for 
friends and in their presence received messages 
from 'spirit' friends which were perfectly satisfac- 
tory in every way to the recipient. I have a young 
sister who for a few weeks received the writing, 
but she is unable at present to get it. While she 
was able to write she was teaching a country 
school, and to me it was quite a trial to have no 
way of communication with her for weeks at a 
time. I said to her: 'If the spirits wish to do us a 
service, they might carry our messages while you 
are away at "school. ' So she and I agreed to sit 
down at a certain hour every day for a week and 
try the experiment. Each wrote a message to the 
other as agreed upon and awaited a reply. 

Three messages by her to me were received 
nearly as she sent them — not exactly worded as 
would have been the case in telepathy, but with 
some changes or- additions, and my hand wrote 
them without any assistance from the brain or 
will. She received but one of my messages, the 
surroundings being very uncongenial to her. The 
writing I get is not messages from personal 
friends usually, but from persons distinguished 
while living for intellectual development — many 
who have been well-known to the world. I was 
far more ready to accept the spirit theory at first 
than I am now, so many perplexing questions 
arising in my mind regarding it. I recently 
attempted to obtain psychometric impressions— 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 283 

cal associations of an object held in the hand of a 
sensitive, < What was my surprise to find that no 
physical impression came, but the hand dropped 
the article and began to write, giving names of 
people in some way connected with the object 
in question. The trouble with these .experiments 
lies in the difficulty of searching out the facts in 
the case. When I receive a letter the magnetism 
is often so strong about it that it gives me a shock 
to touch it. Then my hand tries to write, the 
message being invariably from some dead relative 
or friend of the writer, so far as I have been able 
to inquire. 

The absurd prejudice against these investiga- 
tions prevents one from ferreting out each inter- 
esting case. If it is a spirit who gives me the mes- 
sage, it must come the instant I touch the object 
received from their loving friends, or else spirits 
must be able to be in more than one place at a 
time. At times I feel inclined to say it is all 
hallucination on my part, but when I read the 
articles from yourself, Mr. Underwood, Mr. 
Savage, and others who are known to be mentally 
sound, I feel comforted and encouraged to go on 
with my investigations." 

I give this judiciously- written recital, from a 
private letter, in evidence that spiritual manifesta- 
tions come often to those who do not at once rush 
to conclusions regarding their source ; who 
investigate them in a judicial mood of mind, and 
who are anxious only to arrive at the truth. I 
have learned, too, from the recitals of others, that 
often some form of manifestation of intelligence, 



284 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

outside of the persons who are chosen as the 
mediums of such intelligence, comes to those who 
are unfamiliar with Spiritualism, who have not 
solicited or been expectant of anything of the sort 
occurring, and who are often frightened at its 
exhibition in themselves which awakens doubt as 
to their own sanity. At the close of my address 
before the Psychical Congress, among those who 
came to me was a refined, sweet- voiced lady whose 
first words were : 

" Oh ! Mrs. Underwood ! you don't know what a 
relief to my mind your confession of your psychi- 
cal experience has proved ; for during the past 
year, away from home in a lonely place, I have 
been undergoing a like experience, against my 
will, however, and I was truly afraid I was losing 
my sanity by reason of the strange things written 
through my hand, and afraid to tell any one about 
it for fear they would make up their minds I was 
insane and treat me accordingly. Now — I shall 
feel better about it." And such has been the con- 
fession of a number of people to me. 

The following gives the experience — or a portion 
of it — of a gentleman who, though a stranger to 
Spiritualism, having lost a beloved wife by death, 
in his sore grief was led to consult a medium who 
was a stranger to him, as he was at that time 
temporarily visiting Boston, from a suburban town 
some twenty miles away. The medium without 
help from him told him some particulars in regard 
to his wife and then to his surprise said : " She 
wants you to promise that you will sit at a table with 
a pencil and paper, and she will come and write." 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 285 

The gentleman goes on to say : 

I will say that I had never before even heard 
of automatic writing, and I wondered if she was to 
come in material form, but the medium explained 
that to me, and I promised. After three evening 
trials of eighty minutes duration each, my hand 
moved and a message in my wife's hand-writing 
was given me. The writing was exactly like hers, 
I was astounded and could but believe. Since that 
time a great mass of matter has come in this way 
of the nature you describe in your article in the 
Arena, but so far nothing that is capable of proof, 
that is, nothing hitherto unknown to me except the 
spiritual matters, which of course are unknown to 
all of us for a certainty. I have never so far, got 
^iny message from a spirit to mortal which has 
proved a bona-fide message, although I have many 
which I have never submitted to the ones to whom 
they were sent, dreading ridicule, etc. All kinds 
of hand-writing come — some very plain, and some 
not easily read, and much on earthly matters which 
has proved untrue in regard to other manifesta- 
tions. 

I am shaken at times both hands and body. 
I also hold a coin in my hand and-get answers to 
mental questions of other persons by raps; tables 
also tip for me, but these are simply matters of 
development, and I believe may be increased at 
will by practice though I see nothing to be gained 
by such manifestations. I also find nothing is to 
be gained by attending circles; that you and I 
when once on the road may procure as much 
information through. our own organizations as is 
possible for any medium, or circle of mediums to 
impart to us. 

One thing I dread — the ridicule which so many 
otherwise sensible and intelligent persons will con- 
tinue to throw upon one who simply admits a 
belief in matters pertaining to Spiritualism. The 



286 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

thinly veiled pity and contempt with which they 
say he or she pretends to get communications from 
spirits. I have noticed this so much when trying 
to get a few intelligent persons in my own town to 
investigate with me. 

This gentleman sent me a number of specimens 
of the different hand-writings and various drawings 
obtained by him in this way. Some of the drawings 
thus done through his hand, while very elaborate 
and symmetrical in design are like nothing I have 
ever seen, and under one or two of these the 
intelligence from which they emanated had written 
"picture of things belonging to spirit spheres." 

Drawing, by those who have had no previous 
artistic taste or education, is a frequent manifesta- 
tion of spirit power, but one which I personally 
have not been able to obtain, and I have seen a 
number of drawings by private individuals thus 
gifted which, while beautiful and symmetrical, yet 
bore no resemblance to anything I had ever seen, 
or anything known to the automatic artist. These 
too are probably of things unknown to our sphere. 

1 will give here a short extract from a letter of a 
lady residing in St. Louis, Mo., whose psychic 
experiences though not publicly known, have been 
of a widely varied character including automatic 
drawing and painting of strange flowers, etc., said 
to be indigenous to other planets than ours ; long 
descriptions of which have been automatically 
written, while the one whose hand drew and painted 
those symmetrical though unique pictures had 
never been taught the first rudiments of drawing, 
having no personal inclination in that direction 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 287 

until all of a sudden at an age when she was already 
a staid grandmother, she was taken in hand by an 
unseen artist who signs his name in the odd sort of 
characters which were first made known to me 
through my own automatic writing and which I 
call " spiral writing. " 

In one of her first letters to me she says : 

That your "Psychic Experience" when it ap- 
peared interested me greatly, goes without saying 
— the more so, since your experiences and my own 
have been up to a certain point, so nearly analogous. 
Indeed one or two of the few friends whom I have 
taken into confidence in the matter, felt quite sure 
that I had written the Arena article under the 
nom-de-plume of Sara A. Underwood — in spite of 
my assertions to the contrary. Some of your ex- 
periences give me a sense of amusement, for they 
brought back to memory some exploits of the folk 
from the other side when first I found myself in 
communication with them. You see I was quite 
unacquainted with the various phenomena of 
Spiritualism, and did not dare mention to any one 
my queer experiences, After awhile the course of 
events of a spiritual kind became gradually settled 
so to speak, and truly for nine years (with the 
exception of two years when I was too ill to be 
controlled) I have been in a kind of university, 
learning the things I had long desired to know, 
receiving instruction in ethics and thought, on 
higher than earthly planes. Always I am taught 
the laws of love and truth and reverently do I 
thank my loving though unseen friends for having 
led me into a realm of light and peace which other- 
wise I think I should not have even dreamed of. 

With this friend's conclusions as to the intellec- 
tual and joy-giving value of the lessons given 



288 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

through automatic writing I entirely and heartily 
agree. 

I give some further extracts from others to 
emphasize this truth. 

A gentleman who had been converted from 
doubt as to any future existence through the 
agency of his dear wife's automatic writing, after 
she herself was called upon to enter the happier 
spheres, writes, "I appreciate your sympathetic 
regard in my unavoidable loneliness. I wanted 
you and Mr. U. to share with me the beautiful 
thoughts which came through my dear one's hand 
and I have sent you some of the best and some of 
the poorest communications, as well as some of 
the little rhymes which would come to her at 
times, for I wish you to know the different phases 
of her mediumship. In her normal condition she 
had no faculty for rhyming. I do, as you suppose, 
get a great deal of satisfaction out of the writings 
she left, and I am not sorry that I encouraged her 
to sit, and believed implicitly in her gift, so thus 
got much more through her hand than if I had not 
given her this encouragement. She refers to this 
in the communication from her given through 
Mrs. S. My dearest was the impersonification of 
affection. We lived twenty-five years together — 
and so happily ! I do not, however, mourn as 
others mourn. You can well understand why . 

A member of an orthodox church says: 

My family and some of my orthodox friends are 
very much opposed to any expression of my experi- 
ence, so for their sakes I would not wish to 
identify myself publicly with Spiritualism. But 
while I do not wish to displease or antagonize any 
of these so dear to me I could no more go back to 
the old orthodox ideas than — well, it would be like 
one returning to "wallowing in the mire" after 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 289 

initiation into the beauty of cleanliness. My 
experience has created a new world for me. Yet 
I do not call myself a Spiritualist, although your 
higher ideas of Spiritualism commend them- 
selves to me. 

The following is from a well-known literary 
worker in other than spiritual journals : 

How I would like to talk with you about some 
of the prophecies which have come to me unsought 
— unbelieved, yet true. Seldom concerning my- 
self ; yet when they do come they are remarkable. 
How far they are the uprushing of the eternal 
fountain of Spirit — the Over Soul — or how far 
they are pictures thrown upon our ideality by the 
discarnated, I have no means of clearly ascertain- 
ing. I only seek the truth in this direction and 
wish to have nothing which needs, or seems to 
need bolstering up in any fashion. Could I tell 
you the strange happenings and leadings of my 
wonderful life ; perhaps your guides might help 
unravel them in the interests of Psychology — 
which I find myself unable to do. Ah ! the ocean 
of truth is vast indeed — and how small are the 
bays we explore ! Well, we have a long time 
before us in which to learn. *.*.*•* 

And now in regard to what D has guessed 

as to my " prayerf ulness. " It is a fact that never 
when I am alone and in harmony with Nature or 
engrossed by care, that I do not find myself 
unconsciously talking aloud in aspiration toward 
the infinite mind in which our own lives "move 
and have their being," "Flow into me, and through 
me, Spirit of Love and Wisdom ! Give me 
strength and sweetness ! Enlighten, uplift, round 
out the angles, and help me above all to be helpful 
to others, however hard it may seem. Let me be 
subject to just those experiences that will assist in 
developing me harmoniously and usefully." No 



290 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

one living in mortal form knows or could guess of 
the hours I have walked alone in the woods and by 
the ocean with these "uplifts of heart and will" 
vocalized. 

A New York lady writes : 

I have become intensely interested in your 
wonderful automatic writing as published in the 
Arena. Some three years ago three friends and 
myself in the quiet of our own homes succeeded in 
establishing a line of communication between our- 
selves and the unseen friends by means of inde- 
pendent voices. The messages given were in 
thought and expression so much like your own. I 
noticed in some you . gave us the idea that the 
spirit who had a belief in immortality found it of 
great advantage after passing out of the body. 
That idea was given again and again to us by- 
different friends and neighbors who had passed 
over. I wish I were at liberty to write out our 
experiences for publication, but the dear friend 
who proves to be our best sensitive under the 
efforts of our unseen operators during our experi- 
ments objects to the least publicity ; consequently 
I can only say that I know our friends live after 
the change called death, and can most surely 
communicate with us under the right conditions. 

Later, the same correspondent writes : 

I was sorry that Mrs. L. was not able to see 
you alone on her recent visit to your city. This 
prevented her from being as confidential as she 
wished, for these psychical experiences of ours 
having been kept secret among the few of us who 
made the experiments for our own satisfaction, we 
have never cared to make the results public on 
account of the prejudices of our orthodox friends. 
Mrs. L., however, is the one member of the little 
home circle who knows the least of the work from 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 291 

actual observation, because she was in a deep sleep 
or trance during most of the manifestations. I 
would so like to write you a description of those 
three or four happy years of investigation, but to 
do so would fill many large sheets of manuscript. 
I always wrote down — sometimes during the sit- 
tings, every word as they were uttered — and I keep 
these records now as my most treasured posses- 
sions. 

I hope sometime you may see these, but at 
present Mrs. L. objects on account of her own 
sensitiveness on the subject. That the voices we 
heard at various times were actually independent, 
we know to be a fact, because two or three times 
when Mrs. L. was in her normal state we were 
allowed to sit about a small table and many sen- 
tences were spoken, the sound seeming to come 
from some place near the ceiling of the room. 
The time I hope is coining when all necessity for 
keeping such manifestations a secret will be over- 
come by the world's recognition of the truth of the 
spirit's continued existence. A truth which though 
nominally accepted as part of all religious belief 
is yet resented as untruth when presented as a 
practical demonstrated fact through the phenomena 
of Spiritualism. 

A lady who has had personal spiritual experi- 
ences writes from Oregon: 

I am by no means through with my unique 
experiences but have proven enough to just say 
how wonderful or "what God hath wrought!" how 
vast the great unknown, and how little we know. 
My maladies are disappearing and I am slowly 
gaining. Every line of time seems to have left 
my face as my friends often remark -and this at 
50 years of age. With this renovating power on 
me I do not by any means feel like being laid upon 
the shelf, in spite of my years. I do believe the 



292 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

best part of my life lies ahead of me. Some day I 
will give you the benefit of my experiences in my 
search for truth. More wonderful it seems than 
golden fancy or beautiful dreams! Yet, oh so 
sad, some of it. But I feel that we are all in the 
sweep of the infinite law of life and love that is 
bringing all things to perfection. ' 'I stand amid the 
eternal ways." I am mystified but feel as my guide 
so often says to me to "be good, be true, be firm," 
is my only royal path to happiness. 

This correspondent is not the only one who 
under psychic or spiritual influence has experi- 
enced the "renovating power" which sometimes 
makes those whose features, formerly wasted by 
ill health or the ravages of years, resume the look 
of youth. The writer recalls five others who, 
when congratulated on their improved appearance, 
have ascribed it to the same cause. This is only 
mentioned incidentally as a matter for investiga- 
tion and thought. 

Another claims from the same source to have 
been given this "renovating power" to help others. 
She writes: 

My healing powers do not seem to diminish 
and there is scarcely a day of my life that lam not 
called upon to use them. I am working on a case 
of ten or twelve years standing which the doctors 
here have given up. After three treatments the 
lady could sleep quietly, free from the frightful 
suffering which had caused her to cry aloud from 
pain nearly every night. There is mixed up with 
this power many apparently very unreasonable 
things, yet the benefit takes place despite the 
skepticism of people — but I refrain, I am too liable 
to imagine these strange things of interest to 
others because they mean so much to me. 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 293 

The above, remember, is from the private letter 
of a personal acquaintance, as a mere statement of 
her own experience, and can only be what she 
supposes the truth, I think, for she is a sensible, 
level-headed business woman whose evidence I 
could readily accept upon any other matter. 

A refined, and lovely woman, who has for years 
given lectures through spirit impression, declares 
in a private letter that in her communion with the 
spirit world she finds: 

Why, everything that we require as a stimulus 
and inspiration to all beautiful endeavor, and all 
patient waiting. Ah, the waiting ! Perhaps you 
do not know yet what that means, but to me whose 
larger circle of nearest and dearest friends is 
among the countless group of deathless affections 
on the "other shore " that is a part of life's hard- 
ships. And what comes to me through my psychic 
perception is of the most needed and precious 
character, in that it gives help and comfort and 
strength, and a cheerful sense of at-oneness with 
God and his. good purposes. 

I give the above beautiful expression of assured- 
ness of the continuity of life and of communion and 
kinship with spiritual spheres, as a sufficient 
answer to the many skeptics who ask, as a writer 
in the Arena did not long since, "Supposing it is 
true that spirits exist and can communicate with 
mortals, what good is there in knowing that fact ? " 
The knowledge of these facts, and it is really 
knowledge to many beside this friend who has done 
much to spread her faith, is thus seen sufficient to 
irradiate even the saddest life on earth, for the 
present life is so short, even at its most extended 



294 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

term as seen from a backward look, that the ' ' wait- 
ing " will soon be over. 

A clear poet-friend, who has since passed beyond 
the veil, wrote me soon after the publication of my 
experience in automatic writing in the same spirit 
of joyful knowledge : 

I have always had perfect confidence in the 
dear friendship of yourself and husband, and shall 

have if no other word ever comes to me I 

have always wanted to write you since you "found 
the Saviour." What a good expression, if we only 
use it sensibly, and not exactly biblically ! My 
heart went out to welcome you into the fold of 
those who have added knowledge to their 
possessions — and you and B. F. were never 
antagonistic to that useful gain — but I wanted to 
say so much, that I held back until I could feel 
able to do so — and that time did not come. I am 
so very happy that you have the proof in your 
own hands that if a man die ' he shall live again. ' 
Your happy experience with the spirit friends is 
the same as mine has been — certainly their individ- 
ualities are just as strongly defined as are those in 
the flesh. I wish I could see you and talk over 
these things. I am almost afraid the leisure time 
of which you speak, will only come to us after we 
have put off the shell and live but in the spirit. 
But to us that is only the continuation of this life 
and good to look forward to — it will come some- 
time. How good to have this expectation, and to 
know that life is eternal, and that there we will 

take no note of time, as we' are forced to here ! 

Come to us when you can, either in spirit — or 
letter — or person. 

A lady whose always up-lifting verse is well- 
known over her own signature in Chicago journals, 
writes me : 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 295 

The answers to questions that come to you are 
in direct line with the communications we have 
received for many years. Through them all there 
runs the one ruling spirit that makes for better- 
ment — that lifts us up from the gross materialism 
of physical satiety, and gives us the real soul food 
of knowledge. Dear friend, do you know that 
I believe we may, some of us, live to see what we 
now call the " ideal " accepted as the entity — the 
" substance " of all things? Sometimes it seems 
to me in moments of exaltation that I can actually 
demonstrate the tangibility of virtues — that as we 
are accustomed to handle and measure material 
objects, so we "may with a developed perception, 
grasp the reality of goodness and love. 

IN THE HOUR OF DEATH AND AFTER. 

Apropos of my own experience at the bedside of 
a dying friend mentioned in ' 'Psychic Experiences, " 
various like accounts have been since given me by 
others; and I will here give place to a few of such. 

Mrs. Hester M. Poole, a well known literary 
worker in various fields, sent the following 
account not long since, to the paper edited by Mr. 
U. and myself. 

A few months ago, Mrs. S., who had lately laid 
in the grave the form of her loved husband, came 
north on a visit. While here she related to me the 
following story of the passing away of Mr. S. As 
I questioned her in regard to the minutest par- 
ticulars and heard them reiterated, I shall take the 
liberty of giving them, as near as possible, in her 
own language. She said: 

During many years we had talked much about 
death and the other life and I see now that my 
dear husband was gradually preparing me for the 
separation that he saw was inevitable. His faith 



296 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

was strong in the entire naturalness of the spirit 
life, and that we should know and love those with 
whom we are, while here, attracted by innate 
sympathy. 

I too, hoped that. But I wondered how we 
should know one another ! ' ' Has the spirit form 
and shape ? " I asked. Remember that we lived 
in a slow, conservative community where such 
things were not the subject of conversation. 

Our friends are just the same that they are here, 
he w T ould say, only more ethereal, more glorified. 
I have never seen my loved ones, but I have felt 
them, have had a sense of their interest and affec- 
tion. I am certain they have the human form and 
that they try to make me see them. However, I 
do see them with my mind's eye. And I hope you 
and I will sometime be able to consciously discern 
their presence. 

He spoke with entire faith but I was still at sea 
regarding the condition of the spirit. These talks 
and speculations continued until along in April. 
One damp day Mr. S. had an increase of asthma, 
so that, as usual at such times, I put on a wrapper, 
administered herbal medicine, and kept him com- 
panionship through the long hours of the night. 
Some time after midnight he grew easier and 
propped up by pillows, fell into a profound slum- 
ber. Not wishing to disturb his rest by any move- 
ment, I sat by the shaded lamp in a corner of the 
room where I could watch every motion and read 
until daylight, 

The gray dawn passed and the sun was about to 
rise. Still he slept, peaceful as a babe. I extin- 
guished the lamp and on tiptoe crept from the room 
to confer with our cook. A visitor in the house- 
hold needed his morning coffee before starting 
early on horseback and I desired to see that every - 

In a few moments I 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 297 

returned to find that my husband had slipped from 
the supporting pillows and lay flat upon the bed. 

This was strange, because he had long slept in 
a sitting posture. I went to rouse him — and found 
he had ceased to breathe. I felt his pulse, his 
heart — there was no sign of life. 

You will think it strange, perhaps, that my first 
and only feeling was poignant sorrow that he 
should have gone without one farewell word or 
kiss. At the time it did not occur that he could not 
do it if he so desired. In my first burst of sorrow 
I cried aloud : ' ' Oh James ! how could you leave 
me without one little good-bye, even one ? " 

With these words, but without a tear or fright 
or any other sensation than that I should have had 
had he been about to start on a journey without a 
farewell, I turned and walked across the room. 
You see my mind had not entirely grasped the fact 
that he was what we call dead. He had merely 
left me without our usual leave-taking. 

And now came the wonder of it all ! As I turned 
at the farther extremity of the room and looked 
back at the beloved form lying motionless, I saw — 
what do you think ? Above the pallid face and 
head, lying stark and motionless, I plainly saw 
another — radiant, soulful — the husband of my 
youth, only sparkling, beautiful, glorified. It was 
not more than fifteen inches above the lifeless 
head, and seemed to melt into it at or slightly 
below the neck, so that I saw no body attached to 
it. Transfixed with astonishment as I was, my 
coolness never deserted me. ' ' Am I subject to an 
illusion ?" I asked myself, " Do I imagine this? 
It is all-important that I should know the truth." 

Accordingly I walked to the window, threw it 
open and looked out. Again I turned toward the 
bed. Again I saw that dear radiant face looking 
at me with utter calmness, yet with intelligence 



2_98 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

and a satisfaction that seemed to rise to a. kind of 
holy joy. 

Will you believe that still I questioned myself, 
felt my own pulse, approached the inanimate form 
and spent several moments in proving to my 
consciousness that I was not a victim of hallucina- 
tion ? In moving from point to point, the eyes 
followed me and still I read in the face that I know 
and loved so well : ' ' You see how it is ! Death 
does not affect our consciousness. I am still your 
husband." 

Finally, utterly satisfied, there swept over me a 
wave of gratitude, of spiritual elevation, of peace 
in the perfect certainty that I saw the soul of my 
precious one, and at the supreme moment he had 
been able to satisfy my doubts. Acting on this I 
said : " James, dear, I see you. I know you ! You 
are here ! You have not left me without a fare- 
well. There is no death ! Bless you, and bless 
you ! You will wait until I go to you." 

I spoke these words aloud and knew by the ten- 
derness of the etherealized face that he understood. 
It gradually faded, while I recalled the external 
aspects of the case and left the room to inform the 
household. As soon as possible I returned to find 
only the poor body remaining in sight. 

All through the funeral exercises I was as one 
who manifests none of the grief a friend usually 
feels at the laying away of the body. I told no one 
of my beautiful experience. But I knew then, as I 
know now, that the form in which my husband 
dwelt was no more to him or me than the clothing 
he wore the previous day. My loved one still lives. 

After relating the above, Mrs. Poole says, in 
conclusion : 

In this remarkable and delightful experience, 
which to me seems as real as any other fact in 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY, 299 

nature, there are reasons why Mr. S. could so 
manifest himself While he was attenuated in 
body, and from temperament, development and 
aspiration, living more in the spiritual world than 
in that of the senses, he was the victim of no rack- 
ing and infeebling disease. It was simply a drop- 
ping off of the worn body. There were no opiates 
used, no agony and apprehension around his 
couch. Alone with his wife, who was likewise 
peaceful and without apprehension, what more 
natural than that the great change should be so 
easily accomplished? What, too, more natural 
than, before turning his attention to the new 
scenes and higher conditions of that life for which 
he was so well prepared, he should make one 
triumphant effort to have Mrs. S. recognize his 



The subjoined is taken from the private letter of 
a friend of earlier years whose father and all con- 
cerned were well known to me, and the room 
spoken of is a familiar one. Though not known as 
a Spiritualist I had yet heard the father declare 
his belief in spirit return long before his transi- 
tion, and at a time when I had no belief in that 
possibility, but before the receipt of the letter 
from which I quote, I had no reason to guess that 
any of the living members of the family — all of 
whom were present at the occurrence spoken of — 
had any belief or experience in Spiritualism, so for 
me the extract held a deep interest. My friend 
writes: 

I think I have had an experience equal to some 
of those I have seen published, and I will tell 
you about it. It was soon after father died, I think 
the first time Wesley [her only brother] came home 



300 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

after that event. It was in the forenoon and we 
were in mother's sitting room ; she was sitting one 
side of the stove, Wesley the other side, while I 
sat directly in front. Wesley sat near the bed- 
room door, when it opened and father came in. I 
saw him, and I said to myself, "There, Wesley has 
got pa's chair !" It was so real that for the mo- 
ment I forgot he was dead, and never thought but 
that it really was him. He came around Wesley 
and stood near me when I turned my head to look 
for the chair ; he looked very smiling and happy. 
When I looked for him again he was gone. I said, 
"Mother, pa just came into the room and stood 
between Wesley and me ! " She said she did 
not doubt it at all. Sara, it was just as real as 
life ! 

He told me on his deathbed that he would 
be near me to help me all he could, and I know 
that somebody is helping me for I am impressed to 
do things and whatever I am thus impressed to do 
turns out to be just the right thing even if I don't 
think so at the time. 

Before mother passed away when she was so 
helpless, often when I was busy in another part of 
the house I would suddenly have an impression 
that I must at once go to her, and I always found 
that she wanted me at that time; and I got so I 
never disobeyed the impression. 

Now the writer of the above incident is no 
hysterical or imaginative person, but a very 
sensible, level-headed woman of mature years, 
who was, however, a faithful and devoted 
daughter to both parents who appreciated her love 
and service. That the presence of the son and 
brother made possible the right "conditions" for 
the father's manifestation of himself to his beloved 
daughter, seems to me very probable. 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 301 

A Unitarian friend, a literary woman, writes : 
Apropos of what you relate in your own ' ' psychic 
experiences " in regard to seeing a spirit face 
above that of a dying friend, is the following told 
me by a lady who had previously no religious faith 
whatever : When watching by the bedside of a 
dearly loved baby neice she said to herself. "Now 
if there is a soul, if there be a God — let me as this 
dear life departs, see it go ? " The little one gave 
a struggle, it seemed dead, no breath was per- 
ceptible — but, as she gazed awe-stilled, a grey mist 
emanated from around the baby's head which rose 
and gradually resolved itself into the child's simili- 
tude, but smaller, and floated off toward the 
ceiling where it vanished. "Believe me, or not," 
said she, ' ' it makes no difference to me, but I now 
know that I have seen a soul !" I feel with you 
Mrs. U. that the old lines of belief are breaking 
down — to be merely liberal, scientific, or agnostic 
is not enough. The psychical, seen through the 
lens of science and reason, is surely needed. 

As added confirmation of what this correspond- 
ent mentions in regard to "seeing a soul " I have 
always regretted that I have never been able to 
identify the woman physician whom I overheard 
relate a similar story a few years ago. It was at a 
suffrage gathering held at "Rose Cottage," Edge- 
water, 111. , the home of Rosa Miller Avery. Sev- 
eral small refreshment tables were scattered 
through the dining, sitting, and "Rose" rooms, 
each table accommodating six or more. Psychical 
mysteries had somehow become the topic at the 
table adjoining the one at which I was seated, but 
as I was personally unacquainted with those who 
were at the table, I could only listen with interest 
to the stories told there. 



302 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

A strong-faced, sensible looking woman whom I 
heard addressed as "Doctor" presently took up 
the ball of conversation, arresting my attention by 
her opening words; "Well — I know its the fash- 
ion to disbelieve in continued existence, but, 
ladies — nevertheless I have seen a disembodied 
spirit at the moment of death ! " Doubting and 
questioning eyes being hereupon turned toward 
her, she went on with assurance ; 

There was brought to my sanitarium for treat- 
ment some time ago a man who was a stranger to 
me, and so far gone in disease that I had no hope 
of curing him from the first. He lingered a day or 
two and then died while I stood close by his bed- 
side, worried mainly by my inability to help him. 

As I saw the breath depart and stood thinking 
about sending word to his people, I was all at once 
conscious of a presence by my side, and looking up 
I was thunderstruck to see the.dead man's counter- 
part standing close by me, but apparently oblivous 
to my presence. He was looking down at the 
body with the most worried, mystified and wonder- 
ing expression on his face. I too turned to glance 
at the stiff expressionless face of the corpse, and 
when I turned again to look the spirit was gone. 
But I knew then that I had seen the soul of a 
man! 

A little silence fell upon the group at her table. 
Then one spoke up in a scornful way — "I suppose 
you are a Spiritualist — are you not?" 

Her reply came clear as a bell : 

No — I am no Spiritualist — I was at that time, and 
am to-day a member of the Episcopalian Church in 
good and regular standing. But life has had new 
meanings to me since that hour. 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 3G3 

I will close this chapter with one more instance 
of such " soul-seeing " which I take from the pri- 
vate letter of a psychic friend who was present at 
the funeral services at Rose Cottage, a year or two 
later, of its mistress, Mrs. Rosa Miller Avery— the 
intimate friend, of the narrator and myself, premis- 
ing first that Mrs. Avery was one of the choice 
spirits who from childhood had been familiar with 
the Spirit-world, and before her transition had 
told her son and husband that if she could return 
she would manifest either through this friend or 
Sara A. Underwood. Until after this experience 
the friend from whose letter I quote did not know 
of this fact. This mutual friend, Mrs. D., soon 
after the funeral wrote to me as follows : 

I will try to write you a brief account of my ex- 
perience, at Rose Cottage on the 12th of Novem- 
ber, 1894. 

It so chanced that I was seated, when the ser- 
vices began, in the back parlor just in front of the 
mantel, which faces, if you remember, the little 
alcove, where Rosa wrote. This room was her 
abiding place — the " home-nest" for her. 

The clergyman stood just in front of the alcove. 
Shortly after he began to speak, I was conscious 
of a mist rising just at the entrance of the alcove — 
his words, became to me, more and more indistinct, 
as the mist took shape, and form — when lo ! before 
my eyes stood our friend, issuing from the alcove. 
I saw her dress, even to details — it was a lovely 
robe^rose-colored with a surplice waist, folding 
over to the left side, at which point, long ribbons 
fell. It was not till afterward, that I recognized 
the significance of the color, which illustrated her 
love, so marked for roses, while in the body. She 



304 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

passed in and. out amongst the people assembled 
there, as if at a reception, and finally came and 
stood before me, uttering in most emphatic tones 
these words : " E. D., I am risen." 

I was somewhat surprised afterward to learn, 
that, when, before Mrs. Avery died she was asked 
if she would manifest herself, when out of the 
body. Her reply was, ' ' I will come to either Sara 
Underwood or E. D. , for they are my true friends. 

She has come to me in various ways, since then. 
At one time, I was running over some chords on 
the piano — when suddenly Mrs. A. stood behind 
me — saying, " O, the inexpressible freedom of be- 
ing able to go, where and when one chooses. " But 
I have omitted in my descriptions of Rosa's com- 
ing on the 12th of November, one of the important 
points. She was no longer large and portly — only 
well-proportioned, and young in figure, as in face. 

On our way to Graceland, Mrs M.D., and a Mrs. 
R., were in the carriage with me. Mrs. R. was 
Mrs. Avery's friend, when they were girls. She 
voluntarily said to me, knowing nothing of my vis- 
ion, ' ' Mrs. Avery and I used to wear each other's 
dresses when we were girls, and, I was much 
smaller than I am now." Mrs. R. is probably 
about my size. This establishes to me the youth 
that returns to us when the body is laid aside. I 
knew nothing of Mrs. Avery's form in earlier 
life — but so vivid was she in this vision, that in 
my thoughts of her now, I never associate her 
with the large body she wore on earth. 

I could supplement the statements given here 
with a large number which have been related to 
me in personal conversation by those who have had 
similar spiritual experiences, which are by no 
means so rare as so many seem to think. The 
strangeness to me, since I have had my own eyes 



CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY. 305 

opened, is that so many persist in regarding spirit- 
ual experiences as uncommon, or the result of 
imagination on the part of the recipients — but 
. think the cases given sufficient. 

The many shameful frauds perpetrated by 
conscienceless pretenders who pose in their role of 
public mediums, as representatives of Spiritualism, 
are doubtless among the leading causes of lack of 
popular belief in the truth of spirit-communication. 
For every time discovery — sure to come eventually 
— is made of such frauds, it causes even the faith 
of those who have had real experiences to be 
shocked, and their enthusiasm is chilled to un- 
certainty. 



306 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



CHAPTER XX. 

DOES DEATH END EVOLUTION ? 

Thus far science has been unable to show where 
evolution first started ; still less may it affirm 
when it shall stop. There is yet no point where it 
can be said that nature has issued the fiat. ' ' Thus 
far and no farther goes development." The 
materialistic theory which accepts nothing which 
is not within the scope of our confessedly limited 
sense perceptions, declares that the change which 
we name death, is the limit of the evolution of the 
individual consciousness in man ; for purely physi- 
cal science, seeking for the soul by post-mortem 
methods of dissection of our physical organism, 
can find no organ seemingly specially adapted as an 
enduring basis for psychic element in man. 

But ever since man recognized himself as a 
conscious being, ever since he instinctively felt 
rather than reasoned "I think, therefore I am," 
and knew he could also think of himself objectively, 
the hope, the ever present sense of his own endur- 
ing existence, has been intuitive in all the races 
of mankind, and has been the basis of religions 
however widely diverging in other respects. 

But this intuition of permanence of being has 
never been formulated as most of our knowledge 
is, on well-grounded scientific tests. It has rested 
mainly on the inward sense of man, on disputed 



DOES DEATH END EVOLUTION ? 307 

and unverified personal revelations, and ' such 
reasoning- as Addison puts into the mouth of the 
Roman Senator Cato when contemplating suicide 
and preparing himself for the act, by reading 
Plato : 

It must be so— Plato, thou reason est well- 
Else whence this pleasing hope, this foud desire, 
This longing after immortality ? 
Or whence this secret dread and inward horror 
Of falling into naught ? Why shrinks the soul 
Back on herself, and startles at distraction ? 
'Tis the Divinity that stirs within us : 
"Tis Heaven itself that points out an hereafter. 
And intimates eternity to man. 

The more recent discoveries and conceptions of 
our own age, an age which has made vast strides 
in physical science, have been marked by an 
ominous silence in regard to the soul of man, 
though that science has brought out in strong 
light the processes tending to the moral and 
intellectual development of the human mind and 
character. This silence has been markedly instru- 
mental in undermining among men of education 
the belief in the continuity of man's individual 
existence beyond his earthly span of life, and dis- 
belief in a future has within the past half century 
been rapidly gaining ground from lack of any 
apparent basis in science upon which such belief 
could reasonably rest. 

In the meantime and almost co-existent with the 
growth of this disbelief there has been a growing 
accumulation of phenomena called spiritualistic — 
which, however, has been generally either unnoted 
or condemned by scientific men — going to show 
the dominance of a class of facts all purporting to 



308 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

be supermundane in character, though differing in 
method of manifestation, the results of which 
seem to inspire those who are in touch with any of 
the different forms of these manifestations with a 
deep and vivid faith in the continuity of life 
beyond the visible world in which they find them- 
selves, and to establish within them a firm belief 
in immortality. 

But physical scientists having their scales, 
measures, working hypotheses and theories 
adjusted only to physical possibilities could not — 
except in the case of a few broad and liberal minds 
such as Crookes and Wallace — accept phenomena 
which defied and upset their scales and measures, 
and so pooh-poohed all these facts into the limbo 
of "hallucinations," "phantasms," and "hysteria." 
In spite of this indifference or condemnation on the 
part of science, the unseen intelligence of the 
universe — at least that part of it which could get in 
rapport with humanity — continued to call the 
attention of men by such methods as it could com- 
mand in the way of telepathic, impressional, visual, 
oral and written communications. 

Within the last decade however, science, repre- 
sented by such careful researchers and thinkers as 
Professors Gurney, Sidgwick, Lodge, Myers, Pod- 
more, Janet, Charcot, Liebault, Richet, Lombroso, 
and James (of Harvard University), has seen fit to 
make an attempt to bring the allied phenomena 
of hypnotism, hallucinations, sub-consciousness, 
crystal- vision, clairvoyance, clairaudience, telepa- 
thy, automatic writing, etc., within the domain 
of orderly science by careful record, sifting of evi- 



DOES DEATH END EVOLUTION ? 309 

dence and systemization of facts. So far as it has 
succeeded in this, there has been found nothing 
which makes impossible, much which makes it 
probable, that "death" is not the end of life or 
of evolution. 

Let us consider for a moment what evolution, so 
far as we know it, implies. Always evolution pro- 
ceeds upward from lower forms to higher; from the 
simple to the complex, from homogeneity to 
heterogeneity. At every step it takes on new and 
varied characteristics, as Goethe finely shows in 
his "Metamorphosis of Plants," which is intended 
to be also a psychic parable. 

Closely observe how the plant, by little and little pro- 
gressing 
Step by step guideth on, change th to blossom and fruit! 
First from the seed it unravels itself as soon as the silent 
Fruit bearing womb of the earth kindly allows its escape, 
And, to the charms of the light, the holy, the ever-in- 

motion, 
Trusteth the delicate leaves, feebly beginning to shoot. 
Simply slumbered the force in the seed; a germ of the 

future 
Peacefully locked in itself 'neath the integument lay, 
Leaf and root, and bud, still void of color and shapeless 
Thus doth the kernel, while dry, cover that motionless 
life. 

Herewith Goethe seeks to enforce the lesson that 
every step in progress bears the impress of all pre- 
ceding steps, each one necessary to complete the 
evolution of the whole — the perfected result of 
development. Man has intuitively recognized 
himself as the crowning work of creative energy 
on this planet — the superior in intellect, morality, 
and self -consciousness of all other created things, 
so far as he knows — he also recognizes a higher 



310 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

spiritual ideal of humanity than any one human 
being has ever been able to achieve. Some few, 
the prophets, poets, painters, seers, have come 
somewhat nearer than the masses of mankind to 
attaining this ideal, but no one can be said to have 
gained the standard of perfection recognized by 
all. 

If then this stage of existence is the end of 
evolution in man as a conscious entity, man the 
product of the universe in which the aims and 
aspirations are the highest of all created things, 
who has been able to catch glimpses of still fairer 
and nobler spiritual ideals with no possibility of 
attaining those ideals — then is man the saddest 
travesty, the most wretched mockery of the 
possible, in the whole creation; no Tantalus 
evolved from poet's thought of the horrible, could 
have more dreadful existence and end — if all ends 
with our mortal life on this earth. 

But since, in man's earthly development, evolu- 
tion has ever worked in lines leading to his 
spiritual as well as physical evolution, does it not 
seem an almost imperative outcome that in some 
higher form this spiritual nature should continue 
to evolve still higher faculties and powers and in 
some measure fulfill the ideals of which we here 
have occasional gleams, but which are incapable of 
realization in our present environments? What 
poet, artist, musician, sculptor, inventor, or other 
worker in lines where idealization is possible, has 
ever realized in his work his highest dream? 

It may be said, 

Ah ! but these ideals are to exist in their fair 



DOES DEATH END EVOLUTION ? 311 

and beautiful fulfilment only for the generations 
of future ages — as in each succeeding one of the 
world new and improved species of races and 
animals are made possible by improved conditions. 

But this prophecy is not satisfactory or convinc- 
ing to the individual souls who feel within their 
own egoistic possibilities the attainment of far 
higher ideal evolution than is possible in the 
limitations of earth life. To wither and perish 
out of existence with all these promised possibili- 
ties unevolved except in the race, seems to 
thinking souls a horrible perversion of the law of 
evolution, and these look hopefully forward to the 
time when psychic phenomena, scientifically 
investigated and classified, shall have proved 
beyond power of doubt to all scientists and 
thinkers, and thence to longing souls generally, 
that so-called "death " does not end evolution. 



312 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

THE SPIRITUAL CONCEPTION OF GOD. 

It seems to be a law of spiritual evolution that 
only so much of truth is revealed to each individ- 
ual mind as that mind is capable of comprehend- 
ing ; so also with the general or public mind of 
each succeeding age, the acceptance of discovered 
laws in material or spiritual science is only in pro- 
portion to the progress of intellectual understand- 
ing among the people. 

Thus the apparently simple questions which 
have ever occurred to the mind of man since he 
first recognized himself as a conscious thinking 
being, have not yet been answered satisfactorily, 
doubtless because not yet has thinking man attained 
to the point of intellectual development when the 
true answers to those necessarily appealing ques- 
tions can be thoroughly understood by him. Spir- 
itual revelation hints that not in this earth-life 
phase of being can these questions ever become 
fully comprehended — the questions as to the why, 
the whence, and the whither of our being, and that 
other correlative question as to the being and per- 
sonality of God — the source of all phenomena. 

Man . in all stages of progress could not fail to 
recognize the manifestations of this Power outside 
of himself, and all religions have formulated theo- 
ries in regard to this Power, endowed it with such 



CONCEPTION OF GOD. 313 

qualities as their own intellectual comprehension 
allowed, and have called it by such forceful names 
as have occurred to them — and the words Zeus, 
Jove, Jehovah, Allah, Brahma, God, mean one and 
the same — the power which moves the universe — 
that which Spencer calls " the Infinite and Eternal 
Energy." 

Among all these varying yet akin ideas of crea- 
tive Deity the popular conception of the God of 
Christianity is by no means the highest, though 
here and there some advanced spiritually poetic 
minds have caught glimpses of the possibilities 
involved in such Ail-Embracing power and woven 
into words, vague yet meaningful, the shadow of 
their dream of such a God. But the glory and 
wonder of which these souls have caught gleams 
have never been reflected in the popular creeds or 
conceptions of even those who deemed themselves 
in their own parlance " accepted of God." 

. For how could it be possible for those whose re- 
ligion endowed this Supreme Being with sex, speech, 
passions — which permitted talk of his sons, his 
anger, his vengeance, of his "right hand ; " which 
avowed that he had "made man in his own image," 
to conceive of such a God, so described, save as a 
personal anthropomorphic masculine individuality. 
If all Christians do not thus conceive, it is only 
because their own growing knowledge shows them 
the absurdity and puerility of such conception. 

But the mass of Christians do thus conceive of 
the God they think they worship, and with many 
grown people the idea of God, which we once heard 
a little child give expression to, would not be far 



314 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

from their own mature thought if put into definitely 
worded phrase. The little one sat by a window 
one day just after a severe thunder-storm, which 
her pious mother had assured her was the work of 
"the Good Man" — which name had been used to 
give the child her first ideas in regard to the 
Supreme Power. She sat for some time looking 
up with serious, earnest eyes to the sky where amid 
the breaking clouds, bits of blue showed here and 
there through the rifts. After a long silence thus 
gazing, she turned with a sweet, half-scared, half- 
pleased awe in her face to her mother, "Mamma," 
she exclaimed, "I fink, I is most sure, I did just 
see ' ee Good Man ' looking down at me, from ' ee 
clouds — and he laughed at me, he did — just so," 
giving a gentle smile. When asked to describe him 
she said he "was a nice ole man, with white hair, 
and long white whiskers — like Mr. (naming a kindly 
looking gentleman of venerable appearance.) This, 
apparently, was the idea which her mamma's 
references to " the Good Man " had evoked in her 
childish mind ; and which a vivid imagination with 
the help of shifting cloud-pictures, materialized to 
her baby eyes. 

Spiritualism has not formulated definitions of the 
personality of God, or uttered dogmas concerning 
the attributes and qualities of the Universal Power 
which is sometimes referred to by discarnate 
intelligences as "the Grand Whole," "the Source 
of All Life," " the great All of Being, which you 
name God but which to our clearer yet bounded 
perceptions is still unnamed." To feel, and under- 
stand that the Power and Intelligence able to plan 



CONCEPTION OF GOD. 315 

and carry on all things according to unerring law, 
so far as . our weak perceptions can follow the 
workings of the universe — and to recognize however 
dimly that this power is in itself intellect, love, 
wisdom, harmony — should teach us its present 
unfathomableness to our limited knowledge. To 
say this, is not to depreciate or question man's 
right of inquiry or investigation, but only to 
inculcate patience, and to refrain from unverified 
•conclusions in our search after the infinite. 

But yet there are spiritual conceptions of this 
Power based on its universal development, and 
the great poets whom Emerson calls "liberating 
gods " as giving expression to humanity's highest 
if unexpressed ideals, have now and again put 
into word-form this spiritual concept, though 
always in terms of vague immensity, as when 
Goethe's Faust says : 

Who dare name him ? and who avow "I believe 
in Him ?" Who feel — and dare to say "I believe 
in Him not?" The All-Embracer, the All-Sustainer, 
does he not embrace and sustain thee, me, himself? 
Does not the heaven arch itself there, above ? — 
lies not the earth firm here, below ? — and do not 
eternal stars rise kindly twinkling on eternal high? 
Call it what thou wilt — I have no name for it. 

And Tennyson while he declares his lack of 
definite knowledge of 

That which we dare invoke to bless ; 
Our dearest faith ; our ghastliest doubt ; 
He, They, One, All ; within, without ; 
The Power in darkness whom we guess ; 
I found him not in world or sun 
Or eagle's wing, or insect's eye, 
Nor through the questions men may try 
The pretty cobwebs we have spun. 



316 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Yet later speaks un doubtfully of 

That God which ever lives and loves ; 

One God, one law, one element ; 

And one divine far-off event 
To which the whole creation moves. 

The poet Edward Young, writing more than one 
hundred years ago, gave this truly spiritual con- 
ception of God : 

Say, by what name shall I presume to call 
Him, I see burning in these countless suns, 
As Moses in the bush ? Illustrious Mind ! 
The whole creation less, far less to Thee 
Than that to the creations ample round, 
How Shall I name Thee ? How my laboring soul 
Heaves underneath the thought too big for birth ! 
Great System of perfections ! Mighty Cause 
Of causes mighty ! Cause uncaused ! Sole Koot 
Of Nature, that luxuriant growth of God ! 
First Father of effects ! that progeny 
Of endless series; where the golden chain's 
Last link admits a period, who can tell ? 

Father of Spirits ! Nobler offspring ! Sparks 
Of high paternal glory ; rich endowed 
With various measures, and with various modes 
Of instinct, reason, intuition ; beams 
More pale, or bright from day divine, to break 
The dark of matter organized, (the ware 
Of all created spirits) beams that rise 
Each over other in superior light, 
Till the last ripens into luster strong 
. Of next approach to Godhead. 

The great poets, Emerson intimates, are spirit- 
ually inspired. He says : 

The poet is the person in whom these powers 
are in balance, the man without impediment, who 
sees and handles that which others dream of, 
traverses the whole scale of experience, and is 
representative of man, in virtue of being the largest 
power to receive and impart. 



CONCEPTION OF GOD. 317 

Again : 

The poet knows that he speaks adequately then, 
only when he speaks somewhat wildly, or with the 
flower of the mind, not with the intellect used as 
an organ, but with the Intellect released from all 
service and suffered to take its direction from its 
celestial life; or as the ancients were wont to 
express it, not with intellect alone, but intellect 
inebriated with nectar. As the traveler who has 
lost his way, throws his reins on his horse's neck, 
and trusts to the instincts of the animal to find his 
road, so must we do with the divine animal who 
carries us through this world. For if in any man- 
ner we can stimulate this instinct, new passages are 
opened for us into nature, the mind flows into and 
through things hardest and highest, and the 
metamorphosis is possible. 

Even from the earliest times the poets have 
proved the best interpreters of God — the soul of 
things — to man in his present stage of comparative 
ignorance. So we find in many of the poets the 
Supreme Power of the Universe touched upon in 
words of spiritual beauty and far-reaching mean- 
ing, but it must suffice now to give but one quota- 
tion more, and that from Dante's vision of God in 
Paradise : 

I passed, as I remember, till my view 

Hover'd the brink of dread infinitude. 

O, grace! unenvying of thy boon! that gav'st 

Boldness to fix so earnestly my ken 

On th' everlasting splendor, that I looked 

While sight was unconsum'd and in that depth 

Saw in one volume clasp 'd of love, whate'er 

The Universe unfolds; all properties 

Of substance and of accident, beheld 

Compounded, yet one individual light 

The whole. And of such bond methinks I saw 

The universal form. 



318 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

Not that the semblance of the living light 
Was changed (that ever as at first remained) 
But that my vision quickening, in that sole 
Appearance, still new miracles descry 'd 
And toiled me with the change. 

Truly does this grand poet of the thirteenth 
century — who was said to have had strange spirit- 
ual experiences himself — depict in few words the 
possibilities of creative power, boundless intelli- 
gence, unquenchable love and wisdom, a true spir- 
itual conception of God. Contrast Dante's Paradise 
with its progressive stages of purity, light and 
knowledge with the ideas of the masses of those 
called Christian believers even in enlightened 
to-day. Listen to the conversation regarding the 
"hereafter " among such believers on some occa- 
sion when death has visited their own or some 
other home. They speak as if they and the 
departed were on the most familiarly intimate 
terms with the Supreme Power which to them 
seems a personality to be placated, and conversed 
with, as with .a superior but still human being. 
They feel sure that the one just gone is in God's 
immediate personal presence, and speculate as to 
what judgment will be passed on certain foibles or 
failings, and being themselves in the most kindly 
softened mood through sorrow, rehearse all the 
good points of their friend to each other, and 
conclude according to their own dim light that a 
favorable verdict will be given. 

As if the great fountain of existence in which we 
live and move and love, had anything to forgive in 
the atoms of itself working according to immutable 
spiritual law toward stronger realization of their 



CONCEPTION OF GOD. 319 

own power and possibilities, through the processes 
of spiritual purification of which the strivings and 
trials of humanity are an ordained part ! 

And yet the vastness, the infinitude of it, or 
man's present inability to fully comprehend that 
Power Christians call God — which Emerson calls 
the "Over- Soul" — does not put us human beings 
who are parts of it, apart from or divorce us from 
it — and only our present limitations can make it 
appear so to us. As Emerson says : "Of this 
pure nature every man is at some time sensible. 
Language cannot paint it in his colors. It is too 
subtle. It is undefinable, immeasurable, but we 
know that it pervades and contains us. We know 

that all spiritual being is in man There is no 

bar or wall in the soul where man, the effect, 
ceases, and God, the cause, begins. The walls are 
taken away. We lie open on one side to the deeps 
of spiritual nature, to all the attributes of God. 
Justice, we see and know, Love, Freedom, Power. 
These natures no man ever got above, but always 
they tower above us." 



320 AUTOMATIC WRITING, 



CHAPTER XXII. 

THE FUTURE LIFE. 
HEAVEN. 

Since the first consciousness of individuality in 
man, as soon as there was conscious recognition 
by his reason of the difference between good and 
evil in conduct, the idea of reward for good 
conduct, acts and purposings, and of punishment 
for the evil ones, has taken shape and been 
formulated not only in regard to this world, but 
because experience has taught us that often our 
best intentioned efforts on this sphere ' ' gang aft 
agley," there has been formulated in our religious 
theories a system of rewards and punishments for 
our good or evil acts, to be meted out in a future 
state, and we have named the state of rewards 
' ' Heaven " — of punishments ' ' Hell. " 

In most religions these states are recognized and 
most truly believed in. These states are variously 
described according to the intellectual grasp of 
the people formulating theories in regard to them. 
Especially is this true regarding the sphere of 
reward for human souls after death — that is 
heaven. 

Heaven takes on varying characteristics in 
accordance with the characteristics of the race or 
nation's religion ; and in all faiths the general 
formula of which is accepted by its followers are 



FUTURE LIFE. 321 

often found widely varying conceptions of what 
that formula may imply to individual believers 
born of difference in personal education or environ- 
ments. 

Take for instance the different ideas held today 
by truly orthodox believers in regard to the 
orthodox heaven. Fanny Kemble in her charming 
"Records of a Girlhood " says : 

Lady E. said it was Lady Cork who had 
originated the idea that, after all, heaven would 
probably turn out very dull to her when she got 
there — sitting on damp clouds and singing "God 
save the King" being her idea of the principal 
amusements there. This rather dreary image of 
the joys of the blessed was combated however by 
Lady E. who put forth her own theory on the 
subject as more genial, saying: "Oh dear, no ! 
She thought it would be all splendid f6tes, and 
delightful dinner parties and charming clever 
people ; just like the London season, ouly a great 
deal pleasanter because there would be no bores. 

The thinking mind cannot well help conjoining 

these utterances in regard to a future state of 

supposed happiness by such frivolously cultured 

people, with Pope's description of the ideas of the 

uncultured savage : 

Lo, the poor Indian whose untutored mind 
Sees God in clouds and hears him in the wind : 
His soul, proud science never taught to stray 
Far as the solar walk or milky way, 
Yet simple nature to his hope has given 
Behind the cloud-toppecl hill an humbler heaven. 
* * * * * # 

To be, contents his natural desire, 
He asks no seraph wings, no seraph's Are, 
But thinks admitted to that equal sky, 
His faithful dog shall bear him company. 

In all ideas regarding heaven, man's materiality 



322 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

of view necessarily gives form and coloring, and 
blends with even the poetic, philosophical or 
esthetic conceptions of the heavenly state. 

From the sensuous heaven of the Mohammedan 
where the society and embraces of beautiful houris 
will reward the faithful, and the Scandinavian 
heaven which was the gathering place of heroes 
where feasting and fighting were still to go on, to 
the philosophical conceptions of Plato's heaven, 
the home of the just who had led holy lives and 
purified themselves by the study and practice of 
philosophy — which might be situated above the 
air and wherein all beautiful things which gave 
pleasure on earth, such as flowers, fruit, seasons, 
precious stones, and especially sympathetic 
companionship should exist, but in far more 
delightful conditions than the earthly; or the 
rational Hindu conception of a continuation of life 
in progressive spheres, each successive one an 
improvement upon that preceding it, all are colored 
by man's sense limitations. 

The essential idea of all theories regarding 
heaven is that of a state of happiness, and as man's 
happiness depends upon his advance in knowledge 
and his capacity for enjoyment, it necessarily 
follows that what might be heaven for one human 
soul would be hell to another. The savage whose 
happiness can best be found in the company of 
"his dog, his bottle, and his wife" would be sorely 
bored and wearied in the company of Plato, 
Socrates and their set, while the "happy hunting 
ground" of the Indian would possess no charms for 
these esthetic souls. 



FUTURE LIFE. 323 

Among human individuals even of the same race, 
the ideal of happiness widely varies. The Jack 
Tar who having saved a wealthy man's life, was 
promised in return therefor, to have three wishes 
for what he most needed granted him, wished first 
for "all the 'bacca he could use," then "all the 
rum he wanted," then paused doubtfully as to the 
third and last wish, but being pressed to name it, 
said, "More 'bacca" — plenty of tobacco and rum 
being the sum of his desire. 

Another form of this limitation of sense of hap- 
piness in stunted natures is most pathetically 
expressed in the anecdote recorded of an over- 
worked farmer's wife, a believer in the doctrine of 
the resurrection of the body, who being at the 
point of death declared that " it would be just her 
luck to have the angel Gabriel blow his horn for 
the resurrection the morning after she was buried 
and before she had a chance to rest"; rest, which 
she had been so long denied being her ideal heaven. 

So as our ideals grow in breadth of knowledge, 
love of beauty, comprehension of lovingness, the 
all-embracingness of Being, so will grow our own 
ideals of Heaven and the possibility of their 
attainment. The vision of heaven described by 
Dante which to that great intellect was clear, and 
spiritually comprehended in all. its unutterable 
glory, falls on many ears as meaningless words, to 
others it opens glimpses of thought which cannot 
find utterance, but is only felt presciently as a 
lesson whose deeper meaning must be solemnly 
pondered over. 

Thus the most rational view of man's possible 



324 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

heaven is that presented through Spiritual teach- 
ings and revelations— that through a series of 
gradations the result of willing seeking for growth 
in knowledge of spiritual truth, and of acceptance 
in action of those truths, every ideal heaven may 
in turn be sought for and attained, until the heaver 
he may at last attain will be altogether beyond 
his present mortal comprehension — for "eye hath 
not seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the 
heart of man to conceive the things which God 
hath prepared" for him. 

As a late singer says of her hope of heaven, it 
must be true that she is right in thinking as she 
does: 

So I feel sure when we have crossed the border 

And take on the new ethereal powers— 
That we will be amazed at all the order 

Exceeding the sublimest dreams of ours. 
And we will surely see those much-loved faces 

Dear and familiar in that meeting time, 
Yet made more fair with new celestial graces 

And radiant with an unfading prime. 

THE HIGHER LIFE. 

While the phenomena of Spiritualism, the 
intelligence shown by rappings, table tipping, 
clairvoyance, clairaudience, trance, automatic 
writing, inspirational speaking, etc., have been 
absolutely essential factors in leading to a belief in 
its teachings, yet their highest value is not merely 
in bringing us into momentary communication with 
those loved ones who have entered the beyond 
through the gate called death; nor in causing us to 
marvel at the wondrous thought- divining power 
which seems to be gained by reason of that change, 



FUTURE LIFE 825 

but rather in the glorious prospect which its 
teachings as given through these avenues of 
information, opens up to man of higher spiritual 
life. 

It is a confused, discouraging, and unreasonable 
problem which orthodox religion offers to think- 
ing man in its materialistic and final heaven and 
hell into which all the varying grades of saints and 
sinners are to be ushered on their departure from 
earth's sphere. To sensitive thinkers it was hard 
to determine which was the more dreary abode, the 
orthodox heaven with its perfunctory, unattract- 
ive joys, and the enforced companionship of 
millions of sinless, yet common-place souls, 
or the flaming terrors of unintermitting punish- 
ment which had revenge and not reform for its 
object, but shared with many bright and brilliant 
minds. To such thinkers the rational and reason- 
able scheme of spiritual evolution invariably 
asserted through every phase of professedly spir- 
itual message — a scheme foreshadowed by earthly 
scientists in physical evolution — not only recom- 
mends itself for its apparent orderly sanity, but 
above all because it makes possible — nay almost 
imperative — the truth of the hope that "within this 
boundless universe is boundless better," attainable 
by man in his aspirations toward the higher life ; 
nay more, that the higher life of spirit, is partially 
attainable by high thinking and clean living here 
and now. 

No one, however, can grow spiritually who does 
not consciously, or in humility, unconsciously, 
constantly seek to widen his sphere of knowledge 



326 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

and effort. To those for whom phenomena and 
spirit recognition are the be-all and end-all of 
Spiritualism, only phenomena and that not of the 
highest type will come. In Spiritualism more than 
any other religious faith is it true, that only to 
those who earnestly ask for it shall the truth be 
given, and only those who knock at the door of 
spirit for admittance in their search for the key to 
the higher life shall find the way open. 

What is it then to live the higher life of spirit 
even while in the body? The supreme lesson of 
spirit teaching is, that individual man — a spark 
from the great source of All Being— is placed here 
in this temporary phase of material life in order to 
grow- — to develop in knowledge of his possibilities 
and increase in all the higher spiritual attributes, 
through the struggles, trials, toils, temptations 
and triumphs which serve human souls in much 
the same way that sunshine, winds and rains serve 
the tender plant, giving strength, increasing its 
power of endurance and giving the necessary 
conditions of life and growth. 

Recognizing that we are most surely spirits, 
though still imprisoned in sense-form, we can yet 
aspire to live the life of the soul in spite of sense 
limitations ; can dare to be true to our highest 
ideals in the face of a.nd in spite of conventionali- 
ties, the hope of material gain, worldly prosperity, 
coveted fame, or the approbation of our peers. 

With a strong conviction of the transitoriness of 
this state of existence, and the knowledge that our 
passions, our griefs and joys are but the ephemera 
of a day — primary lessons in the school of spirit 



FUTURE LIFE. 327 

lore — it cannot but be borne in upon those who 
long to gain "the Place of Peace" in spirit 
progress, that the shortest cut to the attainment 
of the satisfying higher life of the soul must be 
by way of self-control and altruistic self-effacement. 
So long as the " I " looms up in solitary dangerous 
isolation on our map of life — the one island toward 
which our bark must steer — so long are we in 
imminent danger of fatuous drifting o'er unknown 
seas, or shipwreck on some uncharted rock. 

Ever and ever, so Spiritualism teaches, the 
ascent of spirit is as clearly shown as is man's 
evolution from lower forms in Darwin's '• Descent 
of Man," and though correlated with that theory, 
is a thousand times more exhilerating and 
inspiring. Let us gain so far a height as was 
once undreamed of, there are before us still 
" Ossas on Pelions piled " of difficult yet delightful 
endeavor before us in spiritual progress and every 
upward step brings new joy gained in treasures 
of divine love and wisdom. 

In view of this upward way in which sympathetic 
companionship of kindred spirits is promised, how 
comparatively easy should it be for those who are 
thus brought to recognize that they are of spirit 
origin while still bound by earth's ephemeral 
conditions, to strive ever to conquer the passions 
which tend to lower and debase, and grow in the 
direction of the qualities which make for righteous- 
ness ;. to grow in love toward all, seeing in even 
the meanest human soul, the germ of the divine, 
and to help fan in obtuse or disheartened souls the 
flame that aspires toward its true source. 



328 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

In the light of spiritual progression, how low 
and needless seem the passions of anger, envy, 
malice and ostentation. In view of the ephemeral 
character of this transition state, how puerile 
seems the wild desire for earthly fame or recogni- 
tion from our fellow -stragglers. How ridiculous 
our cravings for and pride in transitory possession 
of material things — how worse than foolish to 
deny the gladness and glow of sympathetic love to 
those from whose lives love seems eliminated, to 
fail to help and uplift our own souls through our 
efforts for others whom we know to have a 
common origin with ourselves and a like destina- 
tion, though they may not yet have awakened to 
that truth. So may we come to that state of daily 
blessedness which Emerson thus describes : 

But over all his crowning grace, 

Wherefor tlianks God his daily praise, 

Is the purging of his eye 

To see the people of the sky ; 

From blue mount and headland dim 

Friendly hands stretch forth to him, 

Him they beckon, him advise 

Of heavenlier prosperities 

And a more excelling grace 

And a truer bosom glow 

Than the wine-fed feasters know. 

****** 

Teach him gladly to postpone 

Pleasures to another stage 

Beyond the scope of human age, 

Freely as task at eve undone 

Waits unblamed to-morrow's sun. 

ONE WORLD AT A TIME. 

Many of our friends who have not accepted the 
spiritualistic theory of the universe, while confess- 
ing that there may be continuity of existence in 



FUTURE LIFE. 329 

other spheres, aver that they can see no good 
reason why any special preparation or thought 
should be given to 'the subject at this stage of 
being, since if there is a process of spiritual 
evolution it must be a purely natural one, and it is 
useless, nay, detrimental to success in this world 
to take thought in regard to the possibility of 
another while here. In short, that the wisest 
philosophy consists in living for "one world at a 
time." 

The child who is placed in a primary school by 
his parents for the first time may be too ignorant 
as yet to have any very distinct idea as to the 
purpose of his wiser parents who have put him 
there, as the first step towards making him a good 
citizen and self-reliant man by laying the founda- 
tion of worldly education and larger knowledge, 
yet surely if he could be brought to understand the 
absolute need there is for such beginning of 
education, no one would think that such knowledge 
would be a detriment to his studies. 

Is the student who enters upon a college course 
in straightened circumstances, but who ,is 
determined to win his way through, because he 
knows that upon his success in his studies depends 
all his future success in earning a good living, and 
the attainment of his ambitions, likely to be less 
devoted to his college work, than the aimless son 
of a millionaire who enters college because it is 
expected that rich men's sons should be graduates 
from such institutions? Does not reason teach 
and experience show that the constant thought of 
the necessity for such knowledge as can only be 



330 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

gained through a collegiate course, will act as a 
spur to the poorer man, and he is far more likely 
to graduate with high honors than his wealthy 
classmate who has had no such incentive? 

So why should not knowledge of the truth of 
progressive life beyond this earthly phase act as a 
spur to the best possible work while here to those 
who understand spiritual truths, and who know 
that deferment here means deferment of attain- 
ment in spheres beyond ? With the goal constantly 
in view will those who have entered upon the race 
be less liable to press on toward it? Indeed, no, 
the knowledge of whither we are bound and of the 
necessary educational part which earth-life bears 
toward that destination, will only make this life 
and its incidents and duties more intensely and 
joyously interesting than it possibly could be with- 
out that knowledge. 

When we know that each event and act of our 
daily lives bear an irreversible relation to the 
upbuilding of the inner life upon which our future 
progress and happiness depend, such thought 
cannot fail to have its constant influence upon the 
way we meet events and the mode of action we 
take in regard to them. Everything will have to 
us a meaning and force of possibilities beyond the 
superficial present moment and its ephemeral 
pain or pleasure, and we shall gradually grow to 
shape our personal thoughts and acts toward their 
ultimate and grander "meanings and outcome. 

Indeed it is hardly possible from the true spirit- 
ualistic point of view to live only for one world at 
a time, for law is as supreme in this life as in any 



FUTURE LIFE. 331 

future— only here we are constantly learning what 
those laws are, by trying to run counter to them, 
for such experiences teach us that only by the 
adjustment of our lives with law here can compara- 
tive comfort be achieved, so spiritual life must 
mean the harmonizing of one's life with the immi- 
nent law of the Universe both physical and psychic. 
If by saying that one world at a time is sufficient 
to attend to, is meant that we may otherwise 
become less attached to the things of this, and less 
on guard against the evils which may come of the 
wrong- doing of others toward our selfish present 
good, it may be said that such guardedness seems 
not to have worked thus far for universal good, 
and certainly if all become actively selfish in work 
and motive, a pandemonium even worse than the 
present state of things would ensue. Emerson 
most truly observes — "If we will not be marplots 
with our miserable interferences, the work, the 
society, letters, arts, science, religion of men would 
go on far better than now, and the Heaven predicted 
from the beginning of the world, and still predicted 
from the bottom of the heart, would organize itself, 
as do now the rose, and the air and the sun." 






332 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

SPIRITUAL POSSIBILITIES. 

Let us consider for a little space, what Spiritualism 
affirms as to man's- being and progression, and 
strive to realize somewhat the possibilities open to 
every human being, supposing the spiritualistic 
hypothesis be the true one. 

Discarding for the moment the many minor 
points on which the unseen communicants seem 
occasionally to differ, we will take. a few of the 
fundamental ideas in which nearly all agree and 
which are accepted as the truth by Spiritualists 
generally, and see to what conclusions these basic 
principles will lead us. 

These are, first that this earth-life is but one 
phase of man's spiritual existence, an evolutionary 
process necessary to teach him spiritual truths not 
otherwise attainable; that earthly trials, griefs, 
temptations, joys, affections, triumphs, etc., are 
serving as needful disciplinary lessons to enable 
him to understand and withstand temptations of 
the lower sort, and to realize the spiritual happi- 
ness which comes from obedience to the higher 
law. 

Secondly, that so-called death is not the end of 
individual conscious being, but only a natural 
process of transition to another phase of existence, 
which again may be left for another upward step 
as the soul expands with wider knowledge and 



SPIRITUAL POSSIBILITIES. 333 

stronger spiritual power, and that progress in 
knowledge and lovingness stretches far outside of 
our present limited imaginings. 

Thirdly, that only in proportion to the assimila- 
tion of the individual character toward the highest 
spiritual good will be the soul's progress in the 
higher planes, and for this, individual effort and 
longing are absolutely necessary, that for 
individual sins there is no vicarious atonement nor 
any way of salvation until by growing love of the 
true and beautiful there comes more and more a 
state of at-one-ness with all truth and beauty of 
spiritual character. 

For the moment let us accept without debate or 
doubting these premises, and note what the 
legitimate conclusions must be, what the logical 
outcome should be of such progressive spiritual 
life. It cost many long years of investigation, 
close observation, gathering and grouping of 
known facts, and testing of these by correlated 
theories to establish the truth of the law of evolu- 
tion in the physical world, and the fact that it has 
there been found to be so unerring and universal, 
should teach us that in spiritual progress we need 
not expect through any magical change to spring 
into any sphere or condition of beauty, love, or 
knowledge, full- orbed with all the wisdom of that 
sphere without preparatory tendency and effort ; 
that forever each separate attainment must be won 
by separate acts of will and endeavor. As man 
grows and expands in body and mind from baby- 
hood to youth, and from youth to prime, so must 
his spiritual being which dominates the physical, 



334 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

also gradually blossom out into full harmonious 
beauty. 

It does not appear at all reasonable that we shall 
ever here on this planet, with sense perceptions 
which we ourselves recognize as very limited, 
come into full or precise knowledge of the range 
of possibilities which may open to us in other 
spheres, but enough has already been made known 
to us to allow us to dimly guess of the grand and 
glorious spiritual possibilities within the bounds 
of being, open to each human soul. Each one of 
us, however large or limited in any or all direc- 
tions of knowledge gained, has yet had inspiring, 
almost tantalizing glimpses, tastes, foregleams at 
periods in our lives, of many longed-for things 
of which here we have never been able to gain full 
knowledge or possession. 

Moments have come to even the lowest among 
us, of pleasure in musical sound, artistic beauty, 
or sympathetic lovingness, which aroused longings 
too vague to be put into words and dreams- of some 
greater reality of which that moment gave but a 
hint. Who that has felt within the depths of his 
soul such a transitory waft of delight coming 
from some weird strain of music ; while gazing on 
some lovely scene in nature ; when experiencing 
the joy of helpfulness ; the expression of love in 
friendship ; the sense of satisfaction in achiev- 
ment ; but has felt also at the moment of highest 
pleasure coming to him through these, a dim sort 
of dissatisfaction at the transitoriness of it all, and 
a feeling that there are higher possibilities within 
him which are not yet filled or satisfied — but Spir- 



SPIRITUAL POSSIBILITIES. 335 

itualism bids us keep heart of cheer in that these 
vague longings give hint of the joys which may be 
ours in other spheres. 

With growth in any direction comes greater 
capacity for enjoyment. Soon as we begin to take 
delight in acquiring knowledge in any one branch 
of science, every item added to our store gives us 
renewed joy and pride. Think then, what it must 
be to realize that before us lies an inexhaustible 
supply of knowledge and wisdom in every direction 
now known to us, and in many ways yet undreamed 
of, which can be gained in spiritual spheres rapidly 
as the soul can assimilate it. 

Every new friend we gain here sends a new thrill 
of happiness through our souls, and if we are 
many- sided in our sympathies, the area of our own 
knowledge grows by being shared with each new 
friend in touch with any one of our likings. Think 
then of the possibilities of spiritual friendships ; 
every act of love shown us makes our lives wider, 
larger, and more beautiful ; for as we are here 
assimilated intellectually with those of the same 
tastes and pursuits, our range of friendship widens 
with our intellectual capacity. The man or woman 
to whom botany, astronomy, geometry, geology, 
microscopy, journalism, music, "slumming," or 
anything else has become a passion, is a spiritual 
helper to all those outside of their area with whom 
they come in contact. 

What joy then in higher spheres to meet friends 
and teachers in all departments of knowledge ! In 
our present circumscribed sphere of sense- 
limitations we are confined to a very small range 



336 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

of knowledge of states, powers, or realization of 
the interwoven outcome of our acts. In higher 
spheres may we not reasonably think it possible 
for us to have higher sense- perceptions and power 
of realizing possible results — the larger meaning 
of cause and effect — and be ourselves made keenly 
cognizant of power possible to us, such as we have 
weakly imagined the prerogative of what we 
named gods. 

Surely the least of the possibilities promised by 
Spiritualism to those who ardently long to be of 
service to their fellows, is worth while living for — 
to grow in graciousness of thought and expression 
towards all, to gain the gift of infinite patience in 
things great and small by reason of larger knowl- 
edge — to keep in sympathetic lovingness with the 
spiritually wayward, warped, stunted, and even 
abnormally evil natures on earth. 

Ah! what incentives to spiritual progression here 
and now are offered by Spiritualism. The possi- 
bility of achievement giving strength for steady 
effort, and faith to persevere unto the glorious end 
and aim. 

AGE IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. 

In disputing the question of man's continued 
existence after the dissolution of the body, one of 
the standard arguments against such continuity and 
consequent recognition of friends in the beyond, is 
based on the facts of age, and successive genera- 
tions. Used as we are through our earthly 
experience to the different stages through which 
we pass here, childhood, youth, manhood and 



SPIRITUAL POSSIBILITIES. 337 

womanhood, and the gradual decline of physical 
energy culminating in old age and death, it is 
natural for us to carry on the analogy into such 
future life as we can conceive of, and we think of 
the babe called away in life's first dawning hours, 
the prattling boy or girl, the youth or maiden, the 
venerable grandsire and worn-out grandmother as 
still retaining in the spirit- world the same physi- 
cal aspects as the bodies in which their spirits 
were encased previous to the moment of their 
departure. Otherwise, the question is asked, how 
are we to recognize our own friends when we 
reach their state? Or, if spiritually progressed 
and changed, how can there be any joy in recogni- 
tion? and indeed, will they, thus changed, be 
really the same ones whom we loved and lost, and 
mourned and longed for while we were in the 
body? 

Every grandmother and great- grandmother who 
has passed from earth had herself a mother whom 
she longed to meet in the Spirit-world, and loved 
as she loved the daughters, sons and grand-chil- 
dren left behind. What confusion of identities, 
relations and ages, say the doubters, must then 
arise in such cases of spirit recognition, and rea- 
soning from earthly premises they say spiritual 
life is improbable, if not impossible, and think 
they have brought forward a strong argument 
against it. 

Let us consider the question a little. What are 
the means and methods by which we recognize our 
friends on earth? When we see them in our 
homes, meet them momentarily on the street, or 



338 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

when they return after long absence, or we have 
been separated from them for longer or shorter 
periods while they were " growing np ? " Prima- 
rily by their physical characteristics which our 
eyes detect rapidly, for spite of the general like 
characteristics common to humanity and the race, 
every individual has his marked physical variation 
from all others in form or features. Even when 
the child or youth has developed in size or 
expression, the personal characteristics still remain, 
so that recognition is unmistakable. 

But deeper and more strongly asserted than phy- 
sical stamps of individuality are the spiritual char- 
acteristics which set apart each individual soul, 
and it is by these we recognize one person from 
another somewhat similar one, more than by 
physical difference. A human being may by dis- 
ease or accident become so changed in outward 
appearance as to be unrecognizable by his dearest 
friend, but if the mind remains the same, his spir- 
itual characteristics would clearly reveal his iden- 
tity to the least observant. 

And is it not the intellectual and spiritual quali- 
ties, rather than the merely physical, which draw 
us to our loved ones and endear them to us? Is it 
not the spirit within the body that we love rather 
than the body itself? Is not the body beloved 
because of the quality of the spirit which inhabits 
it for a time. We admire the house in which a friend 
lives, and which bears evidence of his presence, 
pursuits, w r ealth and tastes; but if he moves from 
one abode to another, we recognize him through 
these signs as clearly in the new habitation as in 



SPIRITUAL POSSIBILITIES. 339 

the old, and we transfer our liking quickly from 
the old home to the new, for our friend is still the 
same wherever he abides, and our love still follows 
and recognizes him, It is then the spirit of man 
which we care for. 

But spirit should not in higher spheres take on 
the bodily characteristics of age. That is but a 
sense attribute. We shall be drawn as strongly to 
the soul that we loved whether that soul developed 
love in us as a grand-parent full of years, or as a 
little prattler taken out of our arms to grow to 
larger knowledge on a more advanced plane; and 
our spirits will recognize each other void of physi- 
cal outer likeness, by the individual spirit char- 
acter. 

Man's intuitions have ever been protesting 
against presumption of age as a possibility in 
spirit, and it is doubtless the spiritual sense that 
we do not and cannot grow old save in body, which 
is the source of that quick resentment so many 
feel and show in advancing years at any intimation 
from others in regard to the outward marks of age 
in them ; and they resent, too, Nature's relentless 
indications of gradual decay of physical power — 
such as failing sight, the lagging step, the loss of 
spring and energy in many ways. How often 
have we noted the shy air of deprecation with 
which the first pair of spectacles are put on in 
public by those whose waning eyesight forces 
their use. Birthday books, we may observe, are 
not much in vogue save among the younger gen- 
eration. 

The common weakness so frequently appearing 



340 Automatic writing. 

among ageing humanity finds expression in the 
advertising columns of the daily press in praise of 
lotions and mixtures calculated to conceal the 
ravages of time, such as wrinkles, baldness, gray 
hairs, etc. We may laugh if we choose at the 
man or woman who all ineffectually tries to con- 
ceal these inevitable marks of the passing years, 
but it is not only from the eyes of their fellows 
that such persons wish to hide these time-marks, 
but quite as much they wish to cheat themselves. 
Inwardly they do not feel themselves old or decay- 
ing in mental power, and this is their instinctive 
protest against being stamped as aged. Some of 
us will recall in this connection Mrs. Thrale's poem 
of "The Three Warnings" which Death had 
promised the farmer should be given before he 
was called out of the body ; but alas, failing sight, 
increasing deafness, and halting step had come to 
him, yet failed to teach him the lesson intended — 
these were not the sort of warnings he expected. In 
spirit he was still as young as ever. 

We have an intimation of the continued youth of 
the spirit in the moral and intellectual activity in 
advanced age -shown by many men and women 
such as Bismarck, Gladstone, Montefiore, Oliver 
Wendell Holmes, Dr. Furness, Harriet Martineau, 
Dorathea Dix, Julia Ward Howe, Elizabeth Cady 
Stanton and many others. Galileo was deep in his 
favorite studies at seventy years of age, and Mary 
Somerville, the astronomer, was learning a new 
language at ninety-two. Is it not likely that such 
as these, strong in spirit while occupying an aged 
and dilapidated body, should — transferred to 



SPIRITUAL POSSIBILITIES. 341 

another plane of being, in a different form — go joy- 
ously on in existence with renewed vigor and 
growing powers? 

Some may point to cases like those of Emerson 
and Alcott in old age, where the play of mind 
seemed wavering and fitful before the light of 
earthly life went out, to our eyes, as arguing that 
spirit only exists in conjunction with matter ; but 
may it not be that the spiritual part of these was 
already partly withdrawn into the so near unseen, 
even before the connecting link was entirely 
severed by that change we name death ? The 
mysteries of life and death are many, and our 
sense-blind eyes have not discovered all there is 
to know. Says Elizabeth Barrett Browning. 

I am strong in the spirit— deep-thoughted, clear-eyed— 

On the Heaven-heights of truth ! 

Oh, the soul keeps its youth— 
But the body faints sore, it is tired in the race, 
It sinks from the chariot ere reaching the goal ; 

It is weak, it is cold, 

The rein drops from its hold — 
It sinks back with the death in its face. 

On chariot— on soul, 

Ye are all the more fleet- 
Be alone at the goal 

Of the strange and the sweet ! 

And the soul of the poet Bryant had caught assur- 
ance of the barring out from the spirit- wo rid of the 
weakness and decrepitude of that sense-attribute 
old age ; and in his "Return of Youth " thus com- 
forts a friend who regretted his lost strength and 
joy of youthful feeling — 

Nay, grieve thou not, nor think thy youth is gone, 
Nor deem that glorious season e'er could die, 
Thy pleasant youth, a little while withdrawn, 
Waits on the horizon of a brighter sky ; 



342 AUTOMATIC WRITING!. 

Waits, like the morn, that folds her wings and hides 
Till the slow stars bring back her dawning hour ; 
Waits, like the vanished spring, that slumbering bides 
Her own sweet time to waken bud and flower. 

There shall he welcome thee, when thou shalt stand 
On his bright morning hills, with smiles more sweet 
Than when at first he took thee by the hand 
Through the fair earth to lead thy tender feet, 
He shall bring back, but brighter, broader still, 
Life's early glory to thine eyes again 
Shall clothe thy spirit with new strength, and fill 
Thy leaping heart with warmer love than then. 

Indeed it does seem impossible for reasoning man 
to resist the conviction that in some other sphere of 
existence shall be restored to him all the half-tasted 
joys of this life, with permission to drink his fill 
also of the fountain of youth and strength — that 
fountain which every tired soul thirsts after, which 
though here held as a fable, that fable has ever 
had a charm in the telling and hearing — the fount- 
ain of youth may well be found in the life of the 
spirit. 



FORE-GLEAMS. 343 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

FORE GLEAMS. 

In a private letter written in 1891 by the well- 
know journalist and poet, Lilian Whiting, of Boston, 
whose permission I have obtained to publish it, she 
relates the following remarkable psychical experi- 
ence : 

"On a night of last December I had a most won- 
derful experience. Now the Rationalist would claim 
that this I am about to tell you was a ' dream,' but 
if I know anything I know it was not ; know that I 
was just as truly awake as I am at this moment. I 
will tell it to you just as it seemed to me. I was 
suddenly awakened in the night by a feeling of swift 
motion, of being carried up through infinite space. 
My heart was beating to suffocation from the 
rapidity of the movement which was faster than 
any motion I ever experienced before. I was hori- 
zontally and perpendicularly placed in this swift 
drawing up, but I felt no support under me or 
above, but was propelled by an unseen and intangi- 
ble but intense force. 

' ' First was a sense of utter fright and bewilder- 
ment. Second, a mental struggle to recall my 
identity. I repeated to myself my name. Then I 
recalled the circumstances of the evening before — 
a caller who had been in ; what was said ; and then 
the details of my preparation for bed -a new gown 
arranged the last thing so that it might be ready to 
slip on without loss of time, etc. ' Yes,' I said, 'I 
am Lilian Whiting. 1 talked with about so- 
and-so last night and I went to bed in my own dear 
room. Now what has happened ? ' All this while 



344 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

I was being borne upward. At first there was an 
awful, a sickening fear that I should fall — that I 
should be let drop — but after a minute that van- 
ished and I felt as safe as when treading the solid 
earth. 

''After the above mental questioning like a flash 
came : ' O, I wonder if I am not dead ! But I was 
perfectly well. What could I have died of ? ' The 
questioning was of intense curiosity, rather joyful 
than otherwise. My mind went back to my past, 
and I reviewed every little detail with a growing 
satisfaction in the fact that there seemed no reason 
why I should not die, and after thinking distinctly 
about my earthly ties and affairs I inclined to an 
optimistic view that after all it was no great matter ; 
and I began to wonder if I should meet mv father 
and mother at once, also ' Louise ' a very dear 
friend of my earliest girlhood. Finally the motion 
stopped. 

"Again I perceived (but did not see) several per- 
sons around me. 'Surely I have died,' I thought 
exultantly, "who could imagine it was so little a 
thing after all ! ' and my mind seemed to review all 
the usual speculations of the lower world of death. 
1 Can I go and tell ' (a certain friend) ' how little a 
matter it is to die ? ' I seemed to speculate. Then 
I thought : 'Now I will not open my eyes at once, for 
perhaps it would frighten me, and I don't want to 
be frightened again ! ' Then lips were pressed on 
my forehead in a long, lingering, loving kiss which 
was my father's kiss from my babyhood ; and then 
there were tender touches — my hair was caress- 
ingly smoothed, my hands were clasped, arms 
were about me, hands were on my shoulders — the 
whole sensation was as if your form were sus- 
pended horizontally in air and several of your 
closest and most loving friends were all around you 
caressing you in different ways. 

' ' But I felt a peculiar — well, I call it to myself 



FORE-GLEAMS. 345 

' spirit-thrill ' (for I have often felt that peculiar 
and indescribable thrill at times when circum- 
stances would indicate that unseen friends were 
manifesting an interest in my affairs) and with that 
was blended a feeling of exaltation — an exaltation 
which I can no more describe than I could tell you 
of a color if you were blind. It was the most ex- 
quisite feeling in the world. I have often felt it 
to some degree but never in the completeness of 
this night. 

"Still I did not open my eyes. It seemed to me 
to be merely a matter of choice, that if I opened 
them I should see — I knew not what. And intuition 
said : 'Wait till you have grown more accustomed 
to this ; there is plenty of time.' But I was so 
bathed in ecstacy that I felt I could stand no more 
— just then. So I did not (though it seemed to me 
I could at any instant) open my eyes to see. I lay 
vaguely wondering where we were going. Then 
(for the first time in an audible voice) my father 
said : ' Well, I suppose the little girl m ust go back. ' 
Now, 'little girl' was my father's name for me 
from infancy up to the last time I saw him — ten 
days before he passed away. Hearing this, the 
recognition of my father's kiss was confirmed and 
I said : ' O, it is papa ! it is papa ! That is his voice, 
and so I am dead. I am so glad. ' 

"I was caressed again and felt again my father's 
lingering kiss on my forehead — other kisses and 
hand clasps ; and I began to descend. I felt the 
motion just as plainly as before, and was horror- 
stricken with desolation at the thought of going 
back to earth ! Still I was borne down, down, 
down ; then all at once I felt my bed under my body 
as I was gently laid upon it. I recognized its touch 
the moment I was placed on it as a solid foundation 
under me, just as you feel the table you lay your 
hand on. 

"Then I lay still some little time I think. 



346 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

again recalling my identity, my whereabouts, cir- 
cumstances, etc. Presently I got up and lighted 
the gas and looked at the clock. It was then 
4:25 a. m. I returned to bed and wonderingly 
reviewed and meditated on this strange experi- 
ence, which to the best of my knowledge and 
belief was no dream, but a beautiful reality ; a 
foretaste and initiatory glimpse into the secret of 
the transition of the body into higher and more 
harmonious conditions. 

' "Of course I don't believe my physical body made 
that journey. But I wish some one could have 
observed my material body during that time, and 
noted in what state it appeared to be, whether in 
natural repose of common sleep, or what ! I never 
can make any one realize what a dividing line in 
life that experience was to me. I felt as if I had 
really died, but had been sent back just at the 
threshold of the Spirit World." 

A very similar experience to that of Miss Whit- 
ing was once related in my presence by a gentle- 
man who had no belief in Spiritualism, and who 
prefaced his narration by saying: "I call it a 
dream, though it did not seem like one to me at the 
time, so wonderfully real was it." In the sensa- 
tion he had of being borne upward he thought 
himself accompanied and partially upheld by his 
dead mother to whom he was devotedly attached. 
He recognized and conversed with several departed 
relatives and acquaintances, some of whom gave 
him messages to bear to friends on earth. He felt 
the same reluctance to return, that Miss Whiting 
speaks of, when his mother said it was time for 
him to go back, and he had the same realizing 
sense of the materiality of his surroundings when 



FORE-GLEAMS. 347 

laid upon his bed. A singular feature of his 
experience was the fact that, when he fully real- 
ized he was in his own room, he found himself 
almost rigid with cold although the room was 
warm ; and he felt obliged to get up — although at 
an unseasonable hour before the dawn, and take a 
hot bath to restore circulation and warmth to his 
limbs. 

A New York correspondent soon after the pub- 
lication of Miss Whiting's psychical experience, in 
a private letter, thus described a similar one of her 
own: "I have been specially interested in an 
experience given by Lilian Whiting in your issue 
of February 23rd; it is so identical with one which 
came to me a few years ago, only in my case I was 
conscious throughout of my 'physical body ' being 
still upon the bed — and while it was daylight, I 
was quite without any feeling that by opening my 
eyes I should see anything — nor was I con- 
scious in any way of the presence of friends ; but 
like her I suddenly felt that I had been caught up 
in the mighty and awful swirl of the universe — no 
one can describe the sensation. I understood her 
description because I had felt it, and I too was so 
frightened by the awe of it, I think I lost much 
that might have otherwise been given me. 

"I did not hear voices, but just as I felt physically 
faint and dizzy from the swift motion and the 
height I seemed to attain spiritually, T saw (with- 
out opening my eyes) the most wonderful scene of 
mountains, and mountains upon mountains stretch- 
ing far away, seen through that beautiful mist 
which gives our own earth scenery its most exquis- 



348 AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

ite beauty — only this was so beyond anything I 
had even dreamed of on this mortal plane in the 
way of grandeur, and yet tenderness, of form and 
tone, I only wish I had words to convey to you the 
wonderful beauty of the vision that was thus 
granted me— or the sense of grandeur and im- 
mensity of motion which preceded the vision. Oh, 
it was exquisite ! It faded as it came — leaving me 
with that solemn deep sense of utter blankness 
and silence which we who have been blessed by 
these ' special visitations ' know so well. 

"Ah, it is a wonderful, wonderful life the spirit 
friends have shown us these beautiful glimpses of, 
isn't it? and what undreamed of sweetness every- 
where? There have been other exquisite experi- 
ences granted me that are priceless as soul experi- 
ences, though I question whether they would be 
of much importance to anyone but myself. 'Auto- 
matic ' writing has brought me much of interest — 
and also much trash — as I presume it has to you, 
but my best and sweetest revelations have been 
born of the deeper consciousness of Being." 

A like experience of being borne seemingly out 
of the body upwards toward great mountain 
heights from whence she observed spread out 
below her lovely and restful scenes of beauty and 
and peace, was related to me by one whose society 
friends would probably not believe such an experi- 
ence possible to one whose known views are so 
extremely lucid and sensible. 



SPECIMENS OF WRITING. 349 



CHAPTER XXV. 

SPECIMENS OF AUTOMATIC WRITING. 

The specimens of autographic writing, exhibited 
on the following pages, show some of the different 
chirographies in which communications are writ- 
ten by my hand. It is believed they will be use- 
ful for reference in investigations of so-called 
automatic writing. 

Handwriting is regarded by many as an indica- 
tion of character. Disguising one's autograph so 
as to baffle attempts to identify it, or forging a 
signature, even by an expert penman, so that it 
cannot be distinguished from the genuine, is 
extremely difficult, and few can do it. Certain it 
is that I can write in only one style, and in that 
there is scarcely ever a perceptible variation. 

During my earlier experiences, as I have already 
stated, there was great variety of style in the 
automatic writing, but it gradually became less, 
and now the style generally is uniform. But to 
ordinary observation, at least, there is very little 
resemblance between any of the automatically 
written scripts and my autograph. The style of 
"Pharos," who is now declared to be the amanu- 
ensis for other communicating intelligences, is 
shown in Plate on the next page. 










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